BSP fails to open account

NAGPUR:
The Bahujan Samaj Party led by Mayawati failed to click once again in Maharashtra. Though it contested from 281 constituencies in the state,it could not open its account. But this was more on an expected lines because of the cobbling of a unity among 14 factions of the Republican Party of India under leadership of Ramdas Athavale which split the Dalit votes.

"It was a well-orchestrated move of the Congress-NCP. They created a hype about the Third Front and the so-called RPI (United) just days before the state elections. Similarly the ruling parties in the state promoted Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to split the Shiv Sena-BJP vote. The twin moves were enough for the Congress-NCP to ensure that all media attention was focussed on the MNS and the Third Front, so that votes of the opposition parties were split. Thus without doing much, the Congress-NCP retained power despite all negatives factors like increasing poverty, price rise, farmers' suicides and poor law and order," BSP general secretary Veer Singh summed up.

Speaking to Rising Media about party's poor performance, Singh said, "The BSP had in last two years worked very hard in the state especially in Dalit dominated region of Vidarbha. But then we were done in by the bogus claims of the RPI United. Now it is for everyone to see how the Congress-NCP once again used the situation to its own benefit. The money-bag politics of the Congress was also something we could not counter as voters were influenced by that party on the election eve in a big way," alleged Singh. "But we have not given up hope. Our leader Kanshi Ram built up the Ambedkar movement by patiently fighting for Dalit empowerment for decades. We will emulate him," said Singh.

What has come as a shock for the BSP is that its vote share in the state which had gone up to as high as 4.8% in 2009 Lok Sabha elections has not dipped to around 2.5% in the recent assembly elections. Earlier the party had become notorious as spoiler for major parties like the Congress and NCP and even the BJP after it started giving tickets to non-Dalits. But, now that nuisance value has also receded. While it could not win a single seat, the only consolation it has is that the Athavale-led RPI(U) also drew a blank. This could help the BSP retain its cadre base painstakingly from those disillusioned by the RPI's splintered leadership.