Huge cut outs, large hoardings and flags atop nearly very shop or house dot the landscape of Morena near Gwalior.
GWALIOR: Huge cut outs, large hoardings and flags atop nearly very shop or house dot the landscape of Morena near Gwalior. Going by the banners and buntings, at first glance it appears as if the usual suspects — Congress and BJP — are battling for seats. But the Bahujan Samaj Party’s is determined to change the political equations in the region and establish itself as a major player.
So far the BSP has only been a fringe player in the Gwalior region. It first registered its presence in MP in the 1993 assembly elections, when it won 10 of the 198 assembly seats that it contested. In 1998, it contested only 121 seats but managed to win 8 of them. However, in 2003 it suffered a big setback after its state chief Phool Singh Barayia left the party to join the LJP. It contested 157 seats but managed to win barely 2.
This time around the BSP’s is mainly concentrating on the areas adjoining UP like Gwalior, Bundelkhand and around Rewa and Satna. It is pouring men and resources into the area and the strategy is to replicate its UP formula by building an umbrella coalition of Dalits, upper castes and the minorities, though their numbers in MP are limited compared to UP.
Of the 34 seats in the region, the BSP has given tickets to 9 Brahmins, 6 Thakurs, and 4 belonging to the trading community. “Their ticket distribution has been extremely well thought out,” admits former Congress MLA Ramesh Agarwal.
BSP leaders have been citing the example of UP where the party has managed to bring all the castes together and empower them. On her whirlwind through the area on Saturday, party supremo Mayawati in her address at a public meeting in Gwalior said, “We speak for all sections and UP are a living example of it. If you want to be a part of the experience, vote for the BSP and see what we do in the state.”
In fact her supporters are using the opportunity to launch their campaign to project her as the next prime minister. “The people of UP put their trust in her and have benefited, she will be the next PM, MP must also support her o reap the benefits,” says Satish Mishra one of her main political strategists. Whether that happens or not will only be known in 2009, but for now the BSP is giving both the Congress and the BJP and run for their money.
j_ansari@dnaindia.net
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