Elephant flatlines: Mayawati's clout diminishes further

BSP has put up a dismal show, with early trends from the EC showing its lead in barely three seats

Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) conspicuous absence from the campaign trail in the electorally charged Uttar Pradesh will extend to the legislative Assembly, as early numbers paint a grim picture for the Mayawati-led party.

BSP has put up a dismal show, with early trends from the Election Commission showing its lead in barely three seats, even fewer than its poor 2017 show.

As per ECI trends at 1 pm, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the government in the state for a second consecutive term, something not seen in Uttar Pradesh since 1985, with leads in over 260 seats. In the 403-seat Assembly, the party needs a minimum of 202 elected members to form the government.

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Similar is the plight of Congress, already facing disappointment in its stronghold Punjab, which is ahead in only two seats.

The influence of BSP has waned in the state over the past decade as the number of seats fell, even as Mayawati's draw among the Dalits, her core votebank, remained strong.

In 2017, the party won 19 seats, finishing behind Samajwadi Party with 47 seats, stunned by BJP's landslide victory with a whopping 312 seats. This was a steep fall from the 80 seats BSP had secured in 2012.

Mayawati has been on the sidelines all throughout the election season and had virtually no interaction with voters, even though she reportedly held meetings with party workers and leaders.

Her chief rivals interpreted her silence as an acceptance of defeat, while others suspected an understanding between her and the BJP, which she dismissed as rumours later. Almost all the senior BSP leaders, including many from the Dalit communities, either deserted the party or were expelled on one ground or the other.

Also read: Why the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are significant

This confused the Dalits, especially the Jatavs, who have been her traditional voters. The opportunist Samajwadi Party, which has put up an impressive show this year with leads in over 110 seats so far, swooped in to woo these voters and also fielded many Jatav leaders from key seats.

As the UP poll battle had emerged as a contest mainly between incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in the final phases of the polls, BSP's poll eulogy is not surprising. But the numbers hint at the end of the party's clout in the state.

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