On June 5, the chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) issued a post-poll press conference in which she expressed unhappiness with the Lok Sabha election results. She noted that despite efforts to offer Muslim voters electoral representation, they had failed to understand the BSP’s objectives. As a result, the party will explore offering the community electoral opportunities in the future.
Mayawati has spent over a decade attempting to acquire the trust of Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh (UP), but Muslims have consistently supported the Samajwadi Party (SP) in recent elections, viewing it as a stronger opponent to the BJP. This could be attributed to a number of issues, including weak BSP outreach methods, a consistent failure to balance Dalit and Muslim votes, particularly during the Muzaffarnagar riots, the BSP’s stance on issues related to Muslims, and the media’s portrayal of the BSP as a secondary player to the BJP.
Is BSP a B-Team?
The recent statements of Congress leader Danish Ali indicate why Muslims may be hesitant to join the BSP and why the relationship between the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Muslim minority is difficult and fraught with suspicion.
Ali, a former BSP member competing for Congress in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha, has accused the party of serving as the “BJP’s B-team” in the Lok Sabha elections. He claims that the BSP’s candidates were chosen by the ruling BJP, implying a collaboration to split the opposition vote and benefit the BJP. But is this the first time that the BSP has been classified as the BJP’s B-team?
The BSP’s core philosophy is based on the belief that winning power through elections is critical, as “power is the master key” to unlocking opportunity and freedom for the Bahujan Samaj.
Historically, the BSP’s relationships may have reflected this strategic approach to power. The party joined with the BJP in the 1990s irrespective of their core ideological differences on caste seat reservations and quotas, as well as the Babri Masjid. Even if these agreements were forged out of political necessity and in circumstances that favoured the BSP rather than shared ideology, the BSP’s stance on Muslims remains doubtful.
CAA-NNRC, Triple Talaq, and Article 370
BSP chief Mayawati’s decision to boycott an opposition meeting against the CAA-NRC bill in 2020, as well as her silent protest against the CAA and NRC, angered Muslim followers who believed the party was not taking a strong stance. Second, the BSP’s ambivalence, such as its refusal to vote on the triple talaq bill while supporting Article 370 dilution, infuriated the Muslim community. Finally, the BSP’s efforts to balance social dynamics and avoid looking pro-Muslim, combined with internal inconsistencies and leadership decisions, have resulted in uncertainty and frustration among Muslim followers.
Dalit-Muslim votes
In the 2007 elections, the BSP secured an absolute majority with a vote share of 30.4%, much of which came from a Dalit-Brahmin alliance. However, this formula seems increasingly unjustifiable in the current political climate, with the BJP and Congress actively gaining Brahmin voters.
With the shift in the vote bank, Mayawati’s reliance has shifted towards the Dalit-Muslim alliance. The core Dalit vote base accounts for 22% of the population, while Muslims represent over 18%. Despite this demographic potential, the BSP’s efforts to secure Muslim votes have historically failed, dating back to the days of its foundation.
Like before, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections marked a significant low for the BSP. The BSP fielded the highest number of Muslim candidates in Uttar Pradesh, but none of the BSP’s 19 Muslim candidates won. The same pattern was evident in the 2022 Assembly polls as well, where the BSP fielded 88 Muslim candidates but won only one seat.
The political landscape in Uttar Pradesh remains volatile for the BSP, with potential three-way competitions with the BJP, SP, and Congress. While accusations of being a B-team to the BJP harm the BSP’s reputation among Muslims, Mayawati’s accusation further deepened the trust deficit between the BSP and Muslim voters.
