SP-BSP alliance has political significance

This refers to the article, “SP-BSP alliance: A masterstroke?” (May 10) by Biswajeet Banerjee. The coming together of two bitter political rivals — the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) — who once would never see eye-to-eye, has ruffled a few feathers in both State and Central politics. But politics is all about springing surprises of sorts as there are no permanent foes or friend. Remember, both the Bhartiya Janta Party as well as the SP have been partners at different times in coalition Governments led by the BSP in Uttar Pradesh.

But smarting from their drubbing at a resurgent BJP's hands in the 2014 Assembly election in the most politically important State of Uttar Pradesh, the Mayawati-Akhilesh duo tried an alliance in the recently held by-polls for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya respectively. Their success encouraged both to firm up and continue this tie-up at least till the 2019 General Election.

With the SP-BSP coming together, the split of votes they shared, mainly of Yadavs, Muslims and Dalits is unlikely in the next poll. Especially, given that the workers of both parties have come to terms with the prevailing political situation even as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has succeeded in overcoming the internecine bickering within his party. Whether or not this union will prove a masterstroke against the BJP in the Lok Sabha election only time will tell. But both leaders have successfully made their political significance felt across the country, as was seen in the Dalit-support to the Bharat bandh call despite the desertions of powerful BSP leaders.