Is Mayawati lying under BJP pressure? She actually benefited most from the alliance

A close look at the poll data suggests that it was the BSP supremo Mayawati who gained the most from Mahagathbandhan

BSP leader Mayawati (PTI)
BSP leader Mayawati (PTI)
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NH Political Bureau

BSP supremo Mayawati - who walked out of the Gathbandhan or grand alliance immediately after the dismal performance of her party BSP in the Lok Sabha – took no time to blame Samajwadi Party (SP) for drubbing.

As was expected, snapping ties with the SP after the elections, Mayawati announced that she will fight the by polls in 11 seats alone. She also criticised SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for his failure to get Yadav votes transferred to BSP candidates.

However, contrary to Mayawati’s claims, a close analysis of the poll-data suggests that Mayawati gained most from the Gathbandhan.

The India Today-Axis My India post poll survey also suggests that while Yadavs voted for the BSP candidates, Dalits did not vote for the SP candidates.

“The India Today-Axis My India post poll survey showed that Yadavs were more loyal to the SP-BSP alliance than Dalits. While Yadavs seem to have voted unitedly for the SP, the same could not be said about Dalits,” reads a report published in India Today.

Reacting to Mayawati’s claim vis-à-vis India Today-Axis post poll survey, a senior SP leader said on the condition of anonymity, “Had she fought 2019 election alone, she would have drawn blank.”

The leader who is considered close to the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav debunked Mayawati’s claim and said that she (Mayawati) was lying under the pressure from the BJP.

“In fact, she benefited the most from the Gathbandhan,” reiterated the leader.


When asked whether the SP had any idea that Mayawati might walk away from the alliance, the leader said, “We anticipated it. Due to corruption cases, she buckled under the pressure. Result kuchh bhi hota, anzam yahi hona tha (whatever be the results, the consequence would have been the same).”

A look at the poll-data, substantiates the SP leader’s claim and proves that Mayawati is lying about the Mahagathbandhan -

  • Mayawati failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat in 2014 despite commanding a 19.8% vote share, her party won 10 seats, double than the SP in 2019.
  • SP had won five seats which included bastions of Azamgarh, Kannauj and Mainpuri secured nearly 22 per cent but this time lost some of its pocket boroughs in this election.
  • SP could not add a single seat to its tally in this election and its vote share also dipped from 22.35% in 2014 to 18% per cent in 2019.
  • Out of the 10 seats that BSP won in 2019, six were the constituencies where the SP had finished second in 2014 when there was no Mahagathbandhan.
  • Not only the SP failed to increase its tally, Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav also lost in Kannauj while his nephews Dharmendra and Akshay Yadav lost Badaun and Firozabad seats, respectively.
  • Third partner of the Mahagathbandhan Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) also drew a blank — similar to 2014.

As per analysts, pending cases of disproportionate assets against Mayawati forced her to break the alliance.

While the cases against SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and party chief Akhilesh Yadav were closed recently, those against Mayawati are still pending.

Many believe that she may even try to pull strings with the Centre to get the same treatment as the Yadavs.

Besides, her chief ministerial ambitions are also being seen as another reason behind her snapping ties with the SP.

It is important to mention here that despite walking away from the grand alliance, Mayawati has not closed her doors for the SP.

According to a UP watcher, she will now look for new partners which could be the BJP also before the assembly election. Meanwhile, she will try to strengthen her party’s position and look for new vote banks.

“No wonder if Mayawati bargains with the BJP. she may form an alliance with the saffron party before 2022 assembly elections in lieu of withdrawal of the cases, she has no ideological barriers,” said the SP leader.

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