Mayawati knocks the wind out of grand Opposition alliance’s sails

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)’s decision to tie up with former Congress chief minister Ajit Jogi for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls later this year has struck a big blow to the prospect of a grand alliance steered by the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

BSP chief Mayawati’s announcement on Thursday doesn’t hold much significance given that both the parties have scant electoral presence in the tribal State. Jogi has long been expelled from the Congress, and the BSP only managed to win one Assembly seat in the 2013 elections. However, the electoral understanding could eat into the Congress’ core vote share and tilt the scales in the BJP’s favour in a State where Chief Minister Raman Singh is looking to secure a fourth consecutive term.

The BJP has 49 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly. The party has been in power in the State since 2003. It was clearly chuffed with the turn of events with the BJP president Amit Shah, who was addressing the cadre in Raipur, predicted the “demise” of the Congress in the other poll-bound States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, besides Chhattisgarh.

Mocking Congress President Rahul Gandhi for predicting the victory of his party in the three States, Shah said: “Rahul baba is dreaming in broad daylight with his eyes open.” He exhorted workers in Chhattisgarh to ensure more than 65 seats for the BJP, and the decimation of the Congress.

Coupled with Mayawati’s announcement of 22 candidates for Madhya Pradesh where the Congress was driving a hard bargain with the Dalit leader, the Opposition has clearly lost the momentum in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. While in Chhattisgarh, the BSP’s support to Jogi may only inflict partial damage, it will hurt the party in Madhya Pradesh where the BSP influences the seats bordering Uttar Pradesh. To make matters worse for the Congress, a chunk of the 22 seats announced by Mayawati for Madhya Pradesh are in Morena and Shivpuri, the strongholds of Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress’ campaign chief.

Mayawati had demanded 50 out of the 230 seats in MP for a tie-up with the Congress which was reluctant to part with nearly a fourth of the constituencies with a bit player.

But the Congress, which claimed that it is still trying to persuade Mayawati to join forces in MP, has lost much more than a boost in the Assembly elections. Mayawati’s decision is significant for Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress has been hoping to join in as a tail-ender in the alliance between the major players — the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP.

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