With the successful stitching of alliance after 25 years and settling contentious issue of seat-sharing, the Bahujan Samaj Party-Samajwadi Party -Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) combine is set to launch its campaign with the objective of reviving the spirit of 1993 for the consolidation of Schedule Caste-Other Backward Class and Muslims votes.
The combine is hesitant of using the shrill war cry of the BSP frequently raised in its formative years —- ‘Tilak, terra aura taller……’ Instead they are set to revive the slogan of ‘Vote hammer raj tumhara, nahi chalega’, a slogan coined by BSP founder and Mayawati’s mentor Kanshiram.
Announcing pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party on January 12, BSP chief Mayawati had dropped a clear hint of the campaign strategy and punch line of the alliance. She had reminded the people about alliance between the two parties in 1993 UP Assembly elections.
“In 1993, the alliance had outsmarted the BJP that was riding the crest of Ram temple wave at that time. The alliance will repeat the same feat by crushing the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” she had said.
While addressing a joint press conference with Mayawati, Akhilesh had said: “We have learnt our lessons from the BJP. They have taught us the arithmetic of castes. Now, our arithmetic is perfect.” Akhilesh was hinting at the combined vote banks of three parties that comprise Dalits, Muslims, Backwards and Jats.
Mayawati and the alliance partners have substantive reason to feel upbeat and confident about their electoral prospects in 2019 elections.
Though the BSP and RLD drew a blank and Samajwadi Party won only 5 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the combined vote share of the three parties was 42.98 per cent against 42.63 per cent of the BJP.
Moreover, of the 78 seats that the alliance is contesting now, its combined votes exceed the BJP’s on a total of 42 seats. In 2014, the BJP had bagged 71 seats while its ally Apna Dal won 2 seats.
Akhilesh has been citing the outcome of bypoll on three Lok Sabha seats in 2018 and one Assembly seat to make his point. The victory of SP candidates in the bypolls at Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, considered to be the stronghold of the BJP, paved way for the alliance.
The BSP announced support to SP candidates in the bypoll which halted the BJP’s victory chariot setting the stage for an alliance of regional parties.
Terming the SP-BSP alliance as the beginning of a new era in state politics, Mayawati had said that it would trigger a new political revolution in the country. “It’s not only the alliance of two parties but also of communities that have been exploited and harassed under the BJP government,” she had said.
Mayawati invoked Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar and socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia to send a message to supporters of both the parties.
Conscious that bringing Yadav and Dalit voters on the same platform in a short duration will be a major challenge for the alliance, Mayawati and Akhilesh issued instructions to office-bearers to hold joint meetings across UP.
A BSP leader said: “With an organisation network on the ground, the alliance plans to convert it into well-oiled campaign machine before Mayawati and Akhilesh launch election campaign.”
After 26 years, the arch rivals have again come together to take on the BJP and with the RLD on board, it’s going to be tough for the BJP to defend the performance of 2014.