Lucknow: Former BSP ministers Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Anis Ahmad Khan have joined the SP, bringing the overall variety of former Mayawati cupboard ministers who’ve shifted to the social gathering up to now six years to a dozen.

Within the 2019 Lok Sabha election, when the Bahujan Samaj Social gathering (BSP) and the Samajwadi Social gathering (SP) allied, the BSP secured 10 seats whereas the SP may win solely 5. Nonetheless, in the long term, the tie-up seems to have benefited the Samajwadi Social gathering extra.

Of those, Maurya and Saini have since left the SP, whereas the others proceed to stay with the social gathering. In addition to these former ministers, greater than a dozen ex- MLAs and MPs from the BSP have additionally joined the SP throughout this era.

These defections point out that the Samajwadi Social gathering has more and more emerged as a brand new political house for a number of senior BSP leaders, notably those that had been related to BSP founder Kanshi Ram because the social gathering’s early days.

At Sunday’s press convention, Akhilesh Yadav stated that there’s a shut relationship between the Bahujan Samaj and the Samajwadi Social gathering. He underlined this by referring to his PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank, a name for unity amongst OBCs, Dalits and minorities.

Why solely Samajwadi Social gathering?

Throughout the press convention, Siddiqui claimed that greater than 15,000 BSP employees had resigned from the social gathering and joined the Samajwadi Social gathering together with him. Siddhqui was thought-about essentially the most highly effective chief in BSP after Mayawati and Satish Mishra.

Whereas speaking to ThePrint, Siddiqui stated, ”The Samajwadi Social gathering is the one social gathering in Uttar Pradesh that’s taking alongside the ‘sarv samaj’ (individuals from all communities). At a time when communal forces are getting stronger, there’s a want for a robust various. Once I was within the BSP, I performed an vital function in strengthening the organisation. I later resigned and joined the Congress however Congress didn’t utilise my organisational community.”

“Earlier than becoming a member of the Samajwadi Social gathering, I used to be assured that satisfactory house could be given to the employees who had been coming with me. That’s the reason greater than 15,000 BSP employees have joined the Samajwadi Social gathering together with me. Within the BSP, I used to be in contact with employees from western Uttar Pradesh to jap Uttar Pradesh and so they all determined to affix the Samajwadi Social gathering with me,” he added.

Radhey Lal Rawat, a former BSP MLA who joined the Samajwadi Social gathering together with Siddiqui, informed ThePrint, “At current, solely two political options are left in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Social gathering and the BJP. We discover our ideology nearer to the Samajwadi Social gathering, which is why we have now joined it. We wish to stay lively within the politics the place get common duties to do.”

A senior Samajwadi Social gathering functionary stated, “When you take a look at the background of the BSP heavyweights who’ve joined the SP, you’ll be able to perceive their stature. Naseemuddin Siddiqui dealt with greater than a dozen key departments, together with PWD. Babu Singh Kushwaha was in command of departments akin to medical and Panchayati Raj. Equally, Lalji Verma held vital portfolios like finance and planning within the BSP authorities. This reveals how influential they had been.”

“Extra importantly, most of them have a private assist base of 15,000 to twenty,000 voters of their respective constituencies. When that assist is added to our core base of Yadavs, Muslims and different communities, it creates a successful components. These former BSP leaders may also strengthen our outreach amongst non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits. We noticed the affect of this technique within the 2024 elections, and we’re hopeful about repeating the success in 2027,” he added.

Most leaders who shifted from the BSP to the Samajwadi Social gathering consider that Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA plank has been a key issue behind their choice to change sides. Over the previous few years, the SP has consciously focussed on Dalit outreach. Forward of the 2022 Meeting polls, the social gathering fashioned the ‘Baba Saheb Vahini’, a wing named after B. R. Ambedkar. It additionally started celebrating the start anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

R. Okay. Chaudhary, a BSP co-founder, who’s now an MP from Mohanlalganj on a Samajwadi Social gathering ticket, informed ThePrint: “The becoming a member of of a number of BSP leaders, together with many Dalits, is essentially as a result of SP’s PDA plank. Akhilesh Yadav’s name for Dalit-OBC unity is important, as marginalised sections want to return collectively. Earlier, BSP politics was additionally centred round an identical components—unity of Dalits and EBCs together with Muslims. Now the BSP has deviated from its unique path. Those that had been aligned with Kanshi Ram’s Bahujan mission at the moment are contemplating the Samajwadi Social gathering as their new house.”

From 30.43 per cent in 2007, the Bahujan Samaj Social gathering’s vote share fell sharply to 12.88 per cent within the 2022 Meeting elections. The social gathering, which as soon as dominated Uttar Pradesh politics, now trails smaller regional outfits akin to Apna Dal (Soneylal), Nishad Social gathering and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Social gathering.

At current, the BSP has only one MLA within the state Meeting and one member within the Rajya Sabha.

Selection of Bahujan mission founders

Just like R. Okay. Chaudhary, many different co-founders of BSP who had been related to Kanshi Ram have joined SP within the final six years. Former BSP minister and co-founder of BSP Daddu Prasad who joined SP final yr additionally stated that SP is the one political various  focussed on the unity of Dalits and OBCs.

Daddu Prasad stated, “I’ve been a part of the Bahujan motion since 1983-84. The motion geared toward ‘samajik badlav’ (social transformation). Nonetheless, as soon as the BSP moved away from this mission of social change and from slogans like ‘Jiski jitni sankhya bhari, utni uski hissedari’, it started to deviate from its unique path. There was no house left for individuals like us. The motion was meant to unite Dalits, backward lessons and the oppressed, to not convey collectively the oppressor and the oppressed. After 2012, I seen that the BSP had began forgetting its primary goal.”

After leaving BSP in 2012, Daddu fashioned his personal political outfit, after which joined the SP.  Samajwadi social gathering. He added, “We’re from Bahujan mission, so we can’t be a part of BJP.”

Naseemuddin Siddiqui echoed the sentiment: “Within the BSP, district and zonal coordinators maintain essentially the most highly effective organisational positions. A lot of those that have joined the Samajwadi Social gathering together with me had been coordinators. They arrive from Kanshi Ram’s Bahujan motion. If even they’re now not snug within the BSP, you’ll be able to perceive the inner scenario of the social gathering.”

“Now that elections in Uttar Pradesh have gotten more and more bipolar, those that want to stay politically lively will search for viable options. For individuals related to the Bahujan motion, the Samajwadi Social gathering has emerged as the primary selection,” he added.

Many political observers consider that the BSP’s decline over the previous decade has translated into electoral positive aspects for the Samajwadi Social gathering.

In accordance with Lucknow College’s Professor Kaviraj, somebody who intently tracks Dalit politics in Uttar Pradesh, “The BJP additionally tried to woo BSP leaders, and a few of them even joined the social gathering after it got here to energy in 2017. Nonetheless, you’ll discover that those that come from the core BSP cadre or had been intently related to Kanshi Ram’s motion have largely chosen to affix the Samajwadi Social gathering, whereas a couple of have moved to the Azad Samaj Social gathering.”

“Leaders akin to R. Okay. Chaudhary, Daddu Prasad, Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Indrajeet Saroj had been thought-about near Kanshi Ram. They opted to align with the SP slightly than the BJP. Maybe they see the SP as ideologically nearer after the launch of the PDA plank. Or it could be a political calculation that if the SP’s core vote financial institution combines with their very own conventional assist base, their electoral prospects would enhance considerably,” he defined.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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