DNA Edit: BSP-SP partnership - a checkered history

How tenable is a Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections? Considering that both parties are clutching at straws in the face of a BJP tide in Uttar Pradesh, it should seem natural that Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav would bury their differences to oppose the Narendra Modi juggernaut. The Congress, whose vote-share has decreased remarkably in the bypoll contests, also stands to gain. It can aspire to be rescued from political oblivion if the BJP is outmanoeuvred.

However, these elementary calculations do not factor in individual quirks, personal ambitions and a 23-year-old history of animosity between the SP and BSP — the three decisive factors that can rupture a partnership. Recall the 1995 incident when Mayawati, fearing for her life at a VVIP guest house in Lucknow, had bolted the door of her room from inside, while SP cadres laid siege. It is said that the then BJP MLA from Farrukhabad, Brahm Dutt Dwivedi, had come to Mayawati’s rescue. The BSP supremo was caught in a maelstrom because she had threatened to withdraw support to Mulayam Singh government. That she did the day after the incident. In no time the BJP propped her to power and she became the chief minister. Then on, hostility became the enduring feature as Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav (later Akhilesh) were constantly at each other’s throats. There are many incidents of bitter accusations and political vendetta.

Interestingly, in BSP’s official history, written by Mayawati herself, Mulayam is portrayed in the most unflattering light. In 2011, the BSP government had arrested dozens of SP leaders, including Akhilesh, to settle scores over an anti-Mayawati agitation. The current bua-bhatija bonhomie was preceded by a spell of diatribe. When Akhilesh became the chief minister in 2012, he promised to launch a probe into Mayawati’s disproportionate assets and the alleged financial irregularities of her government amounting to Rs 40,000 crore over statue-building. The moot point is that whoever had been in power made the other’s life difficult in a manner that has often defied the rule of law, let alone norms of civility. The talk of an alliance had surfaced earlier as well. In 2014, when the saffron surge in UP was palpable, Mulayam had reached out to Mayawati — only to be snubbed. She had reiterated that Mulayam couldn’t be trusted. If at all there is an opportunistic alliance, it can only be fragile.

Neither SP nor BSP are capable of long-term commitments, it’s just not in their DNA. If one considers their respective support bases — SP’s Muslim supporters and Mayawati’s Dalit admirers — combining the two can reap a windfall for both. It was evident in the bypoll results. But, it won’t be easy to keep egos aside and work out the nitty gritty of a strategy. Perhaps, the Congress can act as a mediator or even a glue, but that isn’t a foolproof solution either. Minor setbacks aside, the BJP is in the most advantageous position in the state. Amit Shah’s social-engineering skills can snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat in 2019.