The Elephant Can Remember

The Bahujan Samaj Party remains an enigma, but it has come up with a very smart game plan for the Lok Sabha elections

- Faisal Fareed

THE many animated discussions at tea stalls near Darul Shifa in Lucknow, which used to be a hospital during the erstwhile Nawabi era, revolve around Uttar Pradesh's (UP) politics. The building now houses flats of MLAs of the UP assembly. Several shops selling khadi kurta-pyjamas, ideal clothes for aspiring politicians, are also to be found in Darul Shifa's market. In these establishments too, there is a lot of talk about UP politics. But the focus of such debates and discussions has changed markedly in the past three months. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which was given very little attention earlier, is now the epicentre of the conversation. There is so much curiosity and conjuncture about the party because the two sources of information-leaders of the BSP and insiders passing on information about it-both remain tightlipped. Very few details are made available for public consumption by the BSP.

Last December, the BSP was nowhere in the news. However, from January to February, speculation was rife about its seat-sharing with the INDIA alliance. In March, the BSP was not counted as a serious contender. When Mayawati addressed her first rally in April, things changed. The BSP seems to have turned the tables on both INDIA and NDA, and it is harming the prospects of both. The two will have to revise their strategy as a result.

The uncertainty clouding the BSP has always mesmerised political pundits. Hardly anyone could get their guesses right regarding the party. Founded in 1984, the BSP has been in power four times with Mayawati as the chief minister of UP. Shedding its rustic image, the party has sprung many surprises in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with the calculations of opposition parties going for a toss.

Battle for Survival