Wary of losing their tickets at the last minute and also the mounting anti-incumbency factor against the Mayawati government, a sizeable number of BSP MLA in Uttar Pradesh have started looking for other options.
According to sources, in the past few days, more than three dozen BSP MLAs — most of them non-dalit — have been approaching the Congress and the Samajwadi Party to explore possibilities of a ticket from these parties for the 2012 Assembly elections.
“A group of us did meet senior Congress leaders in Delhi last month. The meeting was arranged through one of our own MPs who is also looking towards the Congress for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. We have told the Congress leaders that we cannot move out of the BSP until elections are announced because any such attempt would expose us to the wrath of chief minister Mayawati,” disclosed a BSP MLA who met the Congress leaders in Delhi.
At least three BSP MPs are aware of the legislators’ meetings with Congress leaders in Delhi but all three have apparently not informed the chief minister about this.
Another group of BSP MLAs is in direct touch with the Samajwadi leadership and wants to contest the next Assembly election on the SP symbol.
Interestingly, majority of the disgruntled legislators have been avoiding meeting any Congress or SP leader in the state.
“The local intelligence people follow us everywhere and it is dangerous to meet anyone here. We have been meeting top leaders of both the parties in Delhi and have been using the New Year as an excuse,” the legislator further disclosed.
Another MLA, who is keen to move out of the BSP even though his ticket has been cleared, said that he wanted to contest from the Samajwadi Party for reasons more than one.
“Firstly, the equations in my constituency favour the Samajwadi Party and secondly, the anti-incumbency factor against the Mayawati government is mounting and contesting on the BSP symbol will pile up the odds against me,” he said.
Majority of the legislators in the BSP are apprehensive of the anti-incumbency factor. “We have not been able to do any work at an individual level in our constituency because the bureaucracy has been so dominating that we have been reduced to nonentities. Why would anyone vote for us if we cannot go out of our way to solve their problems?” asked one such legislator. While a senior Samajwadi leader admitted that some BSP MLAs had contacted the leadership in recent weeks, no assurance about their tickets has yet been given to them. “The first priority will be given to our own workers and only then will outsiders be considered,” the leader said.
The Congress, on the other hand, has also made it clear that it has no room for latecomers. “Anyone who walks in at the last minute should not expect a ticket. In some cases, however, we can make exceptions,” said a party leader.