A rally of BSP supremo Mayawati, held in Etawah a week ago, attracted more than one lakh people. The turnout of people at the fortress of Samajwadi Party took even the organisers by surprise.

During her speech at the rally, Mayawati’s attempt was to cash in from the “anti incumbency” against the State and the Centre. She blasted the handling of law and order situation in the area. She criticised the Narendra Modi government for the demonetisation drive.

She claimed she did not allow any riots to take place between 2007 and 2012 and added that State has no role to play in the issue of triple talaq.

Yadav votes

“We are getting Yadav votes too in this election. The party has fielded 18 Yadav candidates. Even Yadavs are unhappy with the Akhilesh Yadav government,” said Satend, Etawah district secretary of the BSP. Buoyed at the large turnout of people for the rally, he said it is an indication that the BSP is coming back to power, all because of the hard work of Mayawati and her party’s cadre after the elections.

The third phase of the Assembly polls were held in areas — such as Kannauj, Mainpuri and Etawah — where the BSP is not traditionally strong. “But this election will have surprising results,” said Tilak Chand Ahirwar, the BSP’s organisation in-charge for 46 constituencies in the region.

The BSP’s internal assessment is that the first two phases were very good for the party. Leaders claim that they expect at least 100 seats out of the 140 seats in western Uttar Pradesh. “If the Etawah rally is an indication, in Central Uttar Pradesh we will improve our tally,” Ahirwar said adding that the media is biased towards the BJP and the SP-Congress alliance.

“Wherever the domination and exploitation of the SP government was more, more and more people are turning towards us. They are not just Dalits. Muslims, OBCs and poor people of upper caste are coming towards us,” Ahirwar claimed.

Retain vote base

In the Bundelkhand region, where the BSP was traditionally strong, the party hopes to better its position. In 2007, the party had won 14 out of the 19 seats in the region.

In 2012, despite an Akhilesh Yadav wave it could retain seven of the seats. In the 2014 elections too, the BSP had retained its vote base in the region. Party believes that promises such as a separate state of Bundelkhand and farm loan waiver will work in favour of Mayawati in 2017.

Soon after the 2014 elections, Mayawati had brought young blood to the leadership. They worked among the cadre to rejuvenate the base of the party despite a huge setback. “We did not get any seats. But our base was intact. We held a number of corner meetings and bhaaichaaraa gatherings to reach out to people. This will reflect in the elections,” Ahirwar claimed.

Demonetisation impact

The BSP leaders also claim that the impact of demonetisation is benefiting the party politically. “Dalits and Muslims are the two groups hit by demonetisation. They are poor labourers, farmers and small traders. They are looking up to Mayawati for a change in their lives,” Satend said.

Mayawati had launched a high pitch campaign against demonetisation too.

“The impact of demonetisation was so intense that people are yet to recover from its shock. The government is clueless as to how much black money it got and against how many persons penal action was initiated,” she said at an election rally.

Issues such as the suicide of Rohit Vemula, problems in universities are also being used by the BSP to attract voters.