Curious turn in Uttar Pradesh politics ahead of Mayawati’s birthday bash

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, January 13: The birthday bash of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati appears setting up a plot of a political thriller in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress is increasingly seen becoming keen on roping in the BSP in the Opposition bloc, the Indian National Developmental and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), for the Lok Sabha elections.

The BSP is gearing up the birthday bash of Mayawati on January 15. The birthday of Mayawati is celebrated by the BSP workers as a festival, and for years this has been an occasion when she has sent out political messages.

The Samajwadi Party, which is part of the Opposition block INDIA, appears sounding alarmed over the Congress growing cold to the seat adjustment talks. The last meeting on Friday was deferred. This invited the wrath of the SP, as the party’s youth wing publicly abused the Congress of “hatching conspiracies “. The SP youth wing in a post on the social media platform X accused the Congress of fraud on the Opposition allies.

Amid the lamentation of the SP against the Congress, indications are emerging that the birthday of Mayawati may bring a new turn in the UP politics. The Congress is likely to publicly reach out to the BSP supremo through a few of the party emissaries. Informed sources said that the Congress is keen for the BSP to be part of the Opposition block while being wary that a triangular contest will hand over 80 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on a platter.

The BSP has already made grounds for the Congress as the big constituent of the Opposition block to reach out to the party. Mayawati had hit out at the BJP in her new year presser. The BSP supremo had lashed out at the ‘Viksit Bharat’ campaign of the BJP, claiming that it was bogus amid “rampant unemployment and poor per capita income of the people”.

Within the Congress, the poll outcomes of the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections are pressing the party to onboard Mayawati. In a triangular contest, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP in 2014 while the number had come down to 62 in 2019 when all the Opposition outfits had joined the ranks. But the SP was left apparently jilted after the outcome of the 2019 polls, as the BSP had made the most of the gains by winning 10 Lok Sabha seats.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is set to spend maximum days in UP during his Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, which is beginning from tomorrow in Imphal, Manipur. He will be in UP for 11 days. The Congress leaders argue that the onboarding of the BSP will keep the SP in check as the Akhilesh Yadav led outfit is staking claims on 65 Lok Sabha seats.    

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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