BSP-LSP alliance may upset calculations of Congress, BJP

The tie-up with BJP rebel MP Saini’s party will have effect on poll prospects of all major political parties

CHANDIGARH: The alliance between the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP) of BJP’S rebel MP Rajkumar Saini, which has been forged with an eye on the combined vote bank of Dalits and backward classes (BCS) in Haryana, will have impact on the poll prospects of all major political parties in the state.

While the alliance, which was announced on Saturday after the BSP parted ways with the Indian National Lok Dal, would upset the calculations of the both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress across the state, its focus would be on the 17 assembly and two Lok Sabha reserved seats.

It is for the first time that two parties representing Dalits and BCS have joined hands in the state.

Their alliance comes right ahead of parliamentary and assembly polls in the state to be held later this year.

SEAT-SHARING

The seat-sharing between the two parties is also reflective of their well-planned and shrewd strategy. The Lok Sabha polls coming ahead of the assembly polls gives them an advantage.

Since the BSP is a national party, it has chosen to contest

eight of the total 10 parliamentary seats.

This is likely to be a cause of concern for the Congress as a substantial chunk of Dalits and backward classes traditionally vote for the grand old party.

The alliance may also spell trouble for the BJP as LSP supremo Raj Kumar Saini the party’s MP from Kurukshetra. The saffron party too banks on non-jat voters, Sainis being an appreciable chunk among them.

Since Saini’s LSP is still cutting its political teeth, it has agreed to contest only two LS seats.

However, in the assembly polls which will be held a few months later, the LSP has bagged a bigger share of 55 seats, with the BSP remaining content on the other 35.

BIG JOLT TO INLD

The new tie-up is a big jolt to the INLD, the principal opposition party in Haryana, which stood already weakened after its Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala and his younger brother Digvijay floated the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in the wake of their expulsion from the party about three months ago.

Digvijay finished second in the recently held Jind bypoll, pushing the INLD-BSP alliance to a humiliating fifth position.

Political observers, however, look askance at both the longevity and performance of the BSPLSP alliance.

The BSP, which started fielding its candidates in Haryana assembly polls from 1984 onwards, had come up with its best performance in 2009, when its vote share was about 16 % in the Lok Sabha elections and about 7 % in assembly polls, held the same year. The party succeeded in winning one seat each in the assembly elections held in 1991 (Naraingarh), 2000 (Jagadhri), 2004 (Chhachhrauli), 2009 (Jagadhri) and 2014 (Prithla).

BSP’S PAST TIE-UPS IN HARYANA

In 1998 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP had entered into an alliance with the erstwhile Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) and managed to win the Ambala Lok Sabha seat where it had fielded Aman Kumar Nagra. However, the tie-up was short-lived as it broke in about a year’s time.

The BSP had alliance with the Haryana Janhit Congress led by Bhajan Lal in 2009, though it collapsed before assembly elections later that year.