Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party's relationship becomes adversarial

The hopes flowed in spite of the fact, that their relationship had become cold after the Lok Sabha election

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati. — PTI

Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 30

Deterioration in the relationship between Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party after becoming allies in the last Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, is likely to have ramifications in national politics.

The two parties have fallen back to their old fierce, and adversarial position against each other—which had once defined the politics of Uttar Pradesh, and affected the politics at the Centre.

Announcing the suspension of seven of the BSP MLAs on Thursday for the rebellion at the instance of SP head, Akhilesh Yadav, with regard to the party (BSP) nominee for Rajya Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said, that she would even support BJP in the coming Legislative Council election to defeat the SP.

She has also recommended the cancellation of membership of the MLAs from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

This would be good news for the BJP as it manifests disarray in the opposition camp.

Mayawati also expressed regret at having withdrawn the 1995 criminal case against the SP leaders regarding the alleged assault on her in guest House in Uttar Pradesh.

She had withdrawn the case as a goodwill gesture towards the SP leadership to strengthen the alliance of these parties before the last Lok Sabha election.

Their coming together had raised hopes among anti-BJP camp on account of formidable caste and communal arithmetic of numbers they conjure.

Even, though, BJP decimated all its rivals in the Lok Sabha election, hopes from the combined strength of BSP-SP was high in the anti-saffron camp on account of the formidable arithmetic caste, and communal numbers their relationship conjure.

The hopes flowed in spite of the fact, that their relationship had become cold after the Lok Sabha election.

Political pundits see the rupture in BSP-SP relationship as one which would impinge on national politics.

It will certainly play the bear on efforts for unity among the Opposition parties.

The relationship between BSP and SP has become outright antagonistic right in the middle of the Bihar Assembly election, which would be used by the BJP to take potshot on the opposition parties.