BSP to go it alone in Maharashtra

BJP's poor performance in the by-polls has energized the rank and file of Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party in the poll-bound states of Maharashtra and Haryana.

The party, which had 21 members in the previous Lok Sabha but failed to win even a single seat in the last general elections, had not fielded candidates in the UP by-polls possibly because it feared another drubbing.

Nonetheless, as the by-poll results began to unfold, BSP directed its leaders and cadre to cash in on the BJP govt's "poor performance" at the Centre in the two states going to polls.

The party also aims to weaken the Congress. BSP aims to win back its core constituency – Dalits, which was dented by Congress and later the BJP. "People voted for BJP as they were fed up with the Congress. They have now realised that BJP is worse than the Congress. They would once again look to us," said BSP Maharashtra chief Vilas Garud.

The party which rejected a few proposals of alliances with other Dalit parties a fortnight ago, has decided to go it alone in Haryana and Maharashtra, fielding candidates in all 90 and 288 constituencies, respectively.

Garud said: "Modi wave has gone. Narendra Modi did nothing in the past 100 days. Inflation is still affecting the poor and the middle class. Modi's claim of 'achhe din' has fallen flat and people feel rather bad days are here."

BSP is yet to open its account in Maharashtra assembly despite having been present in the state for over a decade. BSP now seeks to consolidate Dalit votes in Maharashtra which are over 10% of the population.

Its poll calculations in Haryana are a bit different as in that state BSP has been working at the grassroots level since the past two decades. It had about 16% vote share in the 2009 LS polls, which came down to 4 % in 2014.