Mayawati decision upsets Maharashtra Congress leaders as they eye alliance in Vidarbha

The decision of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief, Mayawati, to not join hands with the Congress in two election-bound states has left its state leaders jittery as the party was hoping to stitch an alliance in Vidarbha, where the BSP has an influential presence.

This development is a second stumbling block for the Congress keen on a grand state-level alliance after Dalit leader and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh’s (BBM) Prakash Ambedkar decided to tie up with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) for the 2019 state assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

BSP has a sizable vote bank in almost all ten Lok Sabha constituencies in the eleven districts of Vidarbha. In 2014, BSP had polled more than 90,000 votes in four constituencies, while in four constituencies they had polled about 50,000 votes. Similarly, the BBM has a stronghold in Akola and Bhandara-Gondia constituencies and could spoil the prospects of the Congress-led alliance’s candidate here.

After 2014, Vidarbha has been dominated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The AIMIM’s influence in parts of Marathwada, including Nanded and Aurangabad, can also split the minority votes, which are traditionally in favour of the Congress.

Earlier, the Congress had planned to form a grand alliance by joining hands with at least 10 smaller parties, including factions of the Republican Party of India, the Samajwadi Party, left parties and the BSP, all with a common agenda of keeping the BJP out of power . The Congress’s Vidarbha leaders were keen on joining hands with BSP , keeping in mind the influential amount of Dalit voters in almost all these constituencies.

“After the BSP’s announcement of not joining hands with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the possibility of an alliance is now bleak. The BSP has bagged as high as 9% of votes in some of the Lok Sabha constituencies last time and hence we were very serious about the alliance,” said a Congress leader from Vidarbha. “ There are still a few months up to the Lok Sabha elections. We are hopeful we will be able to convince the BSP for an alliance in Maharashtra,” said former state Congress chief and party’s Vidarbha leader Manikrao Thakre. The BSP’s Maharashtra in-charge Krishna Belle said, “ The decision will be announced by Mayawatiji at the appropriate time.”

State party president Ashok Chavan said the final shape of the grand alliance would be finalised in a month and they were still keen on getting Ambedkar on board.

First Published: Oct 04, 2018 23:58 IST