BSP to contest 2024 polls independently
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati announced on Wednesday that her party would independently contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024, as well as state legislative assembly polls.
In a clear distancing from both the INDIA alliance and the NDA alliance, Mayawati emphasized that the BSP would maintain an equal distance from both formations.
Following the high-profile alliance formations of the Congress and BJP, Mayawati’s confirmation put an end to speculation regarding a potential alliance between her party and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh for the next parliamentary elections.
In a video statement, the 67-year-old leader stated that the BSP’s preparations for the elections were in full swing.
“We will fight the elections alone. In Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and other states, we can contest elections with the regional parties of the respective states,” Mayawati declared.
Taking a critical stance, Mayawati launched a scathing attack on the Congress and its rebranding of the UPA as “INDIA.” She accused the Congress of forging alliances with casteist and capitalist parties in its quest for power.
Similarly, she expressed her view that there was no substantial difference between the BJP and Congress, asserting that both alliances were making empty promises and implementing policies that disregarded the interests of the poor, Dalits, and Muslims.
Mayawati’s discontent with the current political landscape was evident as she highlighted her exclusion from the recent meeting of opposition parties in Bengaluru.
Her party has been actively strategizing for the 2024 general elections, including holding meetings with units in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh to discuss preparations and strategies.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP formed an alliance with the SP in Uttar Pradesh, securing 10 seats with 19.43% of the votes, while the SP won five seats.
However, in the 2022 UP assembly elections, the BSP received only one seat and 12.88% of the votes.
The party is now working on a Dalit-OBC-Muslim alliance in an effort to regain lost ground in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
