BSP chief Mayawati takes political stand on demolition of Mazars in UP & Uttarakhand

Lucknow: In a recent development, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati expressed her sympathy towards the Muslim community, objecting to the demolition of Mazars (tombs) in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, instructing her party workers to stand with the Muslim community and collect data on the affected tombs.

Politically, Mayawati’s stance on protecting shrines is primarily driven by political motives as Muslims form the core vote bank of the Samajwadi Party. Recognising the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) encroachment into her Dalit vote bank, Mayawati aims to compensate by aligning with the Muslim community.

By expressing sympathy towards Muslims, Mayawati also provides an opportunity for Muslim representatives to gain political influence.

However, in the recent past Muslim-Dalit alliance has not yielded significant political benefits for Mayawati, still BSP strategists believe that appealing to Muslims is more advantageous than courting Brahmins for votes.

The political landscape in Uttar Pradesh is currently characterized by the concept of “triangular vote shifting,” where political parties attempt to penetrate each other’s vote banks.

The BJP and BSP are actively working to gain support from Dalits, with the BSP resorting to tactics such as highlighting the demolition of tombs to attract the Muslim vote bank of the Samajwadi Party. Conversely, the Samajwadi Party is aiming to make inroads into the BJP’s Hindu and Brahmin vote bank by organizing events in religious cities like Ayodhya, Mathura, and Kashi. Political analysts believe that the success of this triangular vote-shifting strategy could reshape the political landscape in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Nomita P Kumar of Giri Institute of Development Studies highlights how the BJP’s efforts have eroded the BSP’s Dalit vote bank, prompting the BSP to seek alliances with other prominent vote banks. In response, the BSP has strategically allied with Muslims and Dalits, offering them representation through ticket distributions in various elections.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, both the BSP and Samajwadi Party are making concerted efforts to disrupt each other’s vote banks. The Samajwadi Party is organizing large-scale events in BJP’s upper caste strongholds, aiming to make inroads into their vote bank, while also attempting to retain support from Dalits who are shifting towards the BJP. The party claims a significant Brahmin support base and considers religious cities like Ayodhya, Mathura, and Kashi as its own. Their strategy aligns with this sentiment.

Political experts anticipate intriguing outcomes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections due to the intensified efforts of the Samajwadi Party, BSP, and BJP to penetrate each other’s vote banks.