Bhopal: Elections in Madhya Pradesh have always been a bi-polar contest between the BJP and the Congress, but the outcome of many of these has been affected by the BSP, which has eaten into the Grand Old Party’s vote share in the past.
For the last five bypolls, however, Mayawati’s party has refrained from fielding candidates, resulting in a Congress victory in four of these, including the ones in Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly constituencies.
The ‘friendship’ between the Congress and the BSP has been strengthened in recent times by AICC general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Deepak Babaria’s wish for an alliance with ‘like-minded’ parties. Though such an alliance is yet to be formalised, the BJP is already feeling the pinch.
The bypolls in Kolaras and Mungaoli saw a nail-biting finish, with the Congress emerging victorious by 8,083 and 2,142, respectively. In the 2013 Assembly elections, BSP candidates Chandrabhan Singh and Balveer and Chandrabhan Singh had received 24,000 (14.85%) and 12,000 (8.67%) votes in Kolaras and Mungaoli, respectively.
In the absence of the BSP this time, the Congress seems to have benefitted. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan conceded as much while counting was underway on Wednesday. The BJP, he said, had to fight the Congress for additional votes that would have gone to the BSP had it contested.
Last year, too, the Mayawati-led BSP did not field candidates in Chitrakoot, Ater and Bandhavgarh constituencies, leading to Congress victories in the first two.
In the 2013 Assembly elections, which the BSP had contested, the late Prem Singh had won by 10, 796 votes. The BSP had then pocketed 19.5% votes. Last year, in the absence of the BSP, Congress’ Neelanshu Chaturvedi won by 14,833 votes.
Congress sources said that given the trend, the party is planning for an alliance, or at least an understanding, with the BSP for the upcoming Assembly elections.
A senior Congress leader, who did not wish to be named, told News18 that the BSP did help the Congress by not fielding its own candidates. “Senior leaders, including Kamal Nath and Mohan Prakash, along with JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav are discussing an alliance with the BSP. We are hopeful that it would be finalised in next few months,” said the leader.
Besides, the party is also planning a strategic understanding with the Samajwadi Party and Gondwana Ganatantra Party, which has sizable backing among tribal voters in Mahakaushal region.
“We wish to come back to power and are open to pre-poll alliances,” said another Congress leader from MP.
The BSP, which has four MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, is influential among the Dalit votebank and may help the Congress in closely fought seats. Addressing rallies in Madhya Pradesh, BSP chief Mayawati has slammed the ruling BJP over a range of issues, including attacks on minorities.
The Congress has already planned to rope in OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani in upcoming assembly elections, and a tie-up with the BSP could well be a masterstroke.
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