The volte-face by Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on the issue of alliance with Congress in poll-bound states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, has forced Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to revisit his party’s tie-up with the BSP for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Am indication of the change in the stance of Samajwadi Party is visible as the party has started wooing its old guards who were marginalised after Akhilesh Yadav took over as SP national president in January 2017.
In a bid to set its house in order, the SP chief on Sunday visited Rajya Sabha member Beni Prasad Verma on Sunday.
Verma has been an old associate of Mulayam Singh Yadav for five decades and he distanced himself from the party after his son was denied ticket from Barabanki in the 20117 Assembly poll.
Akhilesh was closeted with Verma for nearly an hour.
Sources in the SP said both leaders had a long discussion on the current political situation, including the alliance with BSP and the situation arising out of floating of a new party by Shivpal Singh Yadav, the estranged uncle of Akhilesh.
The sources further said that during the deliberations, Akhilesh expressed his confidence that the SP would seal a deal with the BSP ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election.
However, Akhilesh did not have a convincing answer when the issue of Mayawati’s silence on alliance with the SP in Uttar Pradesh cropped up during the talks.
The sources said that Akhilesh told Verma that he was in constant touch with the BSP chief and was confident of an alliance with her party for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Ditching the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Mayawati has created a credibility crisis for her party and also its alliance with the SP in Uttar Pradesh.
“The message is clear, that Mayawati is playing the BJP’s game to facilitate the latter to retain power in all three states where it is facing a strong anti-incumbency wave. The BSP chief has punctured opposition unity by directly attacking Congress and tying up with Ajit Jogi in Chhattisgarh,” said a senior SP leader.
A senior SP leader close to Verma said on Monday that though the meeting yielded no result, it was a good start by Akhilesh.
Verma is a tall leader of the Kurmi caste in the state and had switched over to SP from Congress in 2016. The SP badly needs the support of Kurmis, which is the second most numerically dominant OBC caste in UP.