Has the Bahujan Samaj Party’s dismal showing in the recently held Uttar Pradesh byelections sounded the death knell for the Mayawati-led party? The BSP contested all nine assembly bypolls but did not win a single one. Mayawati has always claimed to be the true representative of Dalit identity and aspirations but her party candidates were behind those of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) led by Chandrashekhar Azad in several seats. In some seats BSP candidates forfeited their deposits and in some the AIMIM polled more votes. For a party that once called the shots in UP, these bypolls saw an alarming decline in voting percentage. Mayawati blamed the electronic voting machines for the dismal performance of party candidates but that was obviously just an excuse. The fact is she has lost most of her relevance in the state largely due to over centralisation and the inability to reinvent the party in the wake of the saffron upsurge in UP over the last 10 years. While the Samajwadi Party under Akhilesh Yadav’s stewardship has managed to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the state as was proved by its stellar performance in the Lok Sabha elections this year, Mayawati has failed to keep her flock together. Her flip flops on the issue of Opposition unity largely because she is hamstrung by the plethora of CBI and ED cases against her have failed to make her a serious political player in the state. Blowing hot and cold over the Congress and SP, she has also rejected all overtures by Chadrashekhar Azad the ASPK leader, who won the Nagina Lok Sabha seat defying all expectations. As the BJP under Yogi Adityanath publicises its corruption-free regime, the allegations against Mayawati have worked against her. For a leader who was once seen as the true successor of Dalit icon Kanshiram and a potential future prime minister, it has been a steep fall for Mayawati. Of course, one can never say never in politics but it appears unlikely that she can revive her once robust political career.
