Samajwadi Party launches drive to woo BSP's Dalit, OBC voters

The Samajwadi Party has launched a concerted campaign to woo the BSP's core supporters among Dalits and non-Yadav other backward classes (OBCs) ahead of the urban local body polls and 2024 general election, after the BSP played a spoiler for the SP in 2022 assembly polls.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday visited Raebareli, where he unveiled a statue of BSP founder Kanshiram, a significant move to send a message to the social reformer's followers. The statue was unveiled inside the Manyavar Kanshiram Mahavidyala in Raebareli, founded by Shiva Maurya, wife of SP MLC and former BSP leader, and former BJP minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who has been in the limelight of late for demanding deletions of sections of the Ramcharitmanas alleging them to be casteist.

Addressing a gathering after unveiling the statue, Yadav also made a veiled reference to the BSP as one of the parties "indirectly supporting" the BJP and asked people to beware of such parties. "Sometimes the BJP colludes with other people to fight elections. We will have to be aware of the BJP as well as those indirectly supporting the BJP. If we don't be cautious of those people we will not be successful in our fight," he said.

On April 13, the SP will observe BP Mandal's death anniversary at the Vidhan Sabha and block levels. It will also hold meetings to discuss the importance of social justice and caste census - the primary vehicle that the party is using to project itself as a Bahujan sympathiser. In the assembly election last year, while it won all of one seat, the BSP played spoiler for the SP in 137 seats by securing more votes than the victory margin.