Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Will Samajwadi Party’s loss be Mayawati’s gain?
BackBack

Will Samajwadi Party’s loss be Mayawati’s gain?

BSP is likely to reap electoral gains in the coming Uttar Pradesh elections by garnering wide support, while the ongoing family feud may dent Samajwadi Party's image

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati during an election campaign rally in Lucknow on 9 October. Photo: ReutersPremium
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati during an election campaign rally in Lucknow on 9 October. Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: The ongoing political tussle in the first family of Uttar Pradesh will erode the voter base of the Samajwadi Party (SP) that is getting disillusioned with the continuous internal troubles between party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, to the benefit of rival Bhaujan Samaj Party (BSP), according to analysts.

The Mayawati-led BSP is likely to reap electoral gains in the coming assembly elections by garnering wide support, particularly from the Muslim community. Though senior SP leaders are worried about immediate losses, they feel the family feud will strengthen Akhilesh Yadav’s political hold on the party in the long run.

“SP will suffer a major jolt because of what is happening and beyond a shadow of doubt it is going to dent its image. I will not anticipate a split in the party for the simple reason that no one will push the envelope that far because it is not in the political interest of anyone to do so," said Sandeep Shastri, political analyst and pro-vice chancellor of Jain University, Bengaluru.

ALSO READ | Akhilesh Yadav won’t be the face of Samajwadi Party’s UP election campaign

“I feel the beneficiary of it will be the BSP. The votes of upper castes and other dominant groups appear to be firmly in the basket of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). What is critical in Uttar Pradesh is the Muslim voters who are divided between SP and BSP. Muslims will cast a tactical vote and they will look at a party which will win and owing to the troubles within SP, their choice will be BSP," he added.

Understandably, senior SP leaders are worried about the fallout of the family feud as they suspect that weakening of the party will benefit BSP in the upcoming elections. “The perception is that if the family is not united and senior leaders are fighting, it will hurt SP’s prospects in elections and give an advantage to BSP. But, in the long run, this family feud will help Akhilesh consolidate his grip on the party as a majority of MLAs are backing him," a senior SP leader from Lucknow said, requesting anonymity.

Traditionally, the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly has largely been a two-cornered contest between the SP and the BSP. In 2007, BSP won 206 seats with a vote share of 30.43%, whereas the SP won 97 seats with 25.43% vote share. In 2012, the results almost reversed with the SP winning 224 seats with a 29.13% vote share, whereas the BSP was elected in 80 seats garnering a vote share of 25.91%.

In both the elections, the BJP finished third, winning 47 seats and 15% vote share in 2012 and 51 seats with 16.97% vote share in 2007.

The Congress, which is running a high-decibel campaign this time around, faced a rout in both the assembly elections. The party has been out of power in UP for 27 years and the last time it secured a double-digit vote share in the state was in the 1993 assembly election.

“When there is a multi-polar contest like this, each party makes sure that it consolidates its original support base and expands it to other social groups. And in that sense, UP is truly facing a multi-cornered contest as none of the political parties are showing any inclination for an alliance," Shastri added.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Politics News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More Less
Published: 25 Oct 2016, 09:40 AM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App