SP and BSP explore an alliance possibility to challenge BJP, with SP distancing itself from Congress.
NEW DELHI: After back-to-back election defeats, Congress is losing the confidence of its allies within the I.N.D.I.A bloc, prompting them to explore alternative coalition options in their respective states. In this context, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has shown interest in aligning with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Initial discussions have already taken place, and another meeting is expected next month.
A source familiar with the matter told The Sunday Guardian that relations between Congress and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh are strained. SP has expressed concerns over Congress’s weak grassroots presence in the state, and the party’s continued poor performance in recent elections has further cast doubt on its role in the upcoming UP polls. Additionally, SP fears that continuing its alliance with Congress could negatively impact its cadre on the ground.
The source further revealed that, in light of these concerns, I.N.D.I.A bloc allies are actively exploring alternative coalition options in their respective states, seeking to minimise their reliance on Congress. Their primary objective is to prevent a repeat of the vote split that occurred in the recently concluded Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections. In that election, opposition votes were divided between Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), ultimately benefitting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured a decisive victory.
This vote split has raised alarms among the alliance partners, prompting them to reassess their electoral strategies. Many regional parties within the alliance believe that continuing to align with Congress, given its declining influence and electoral setbacks, could weaken the opposition’s overall prospects. As a result, discussions are underway to form new political equations that can consolidate opposition votes more effectively and present a stronger challenge to the BJP in upcoming elections.
To address this issue, SP and BSP have decided to explore the possibility of joining forces for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The discussions are still in the early stages, but there is growing momentum toward a potential alliance. Although both parties have had their differences in recent times and have not been on the best of terms, they are now considering coming together with the support of other I.N.D.I.A bloc allies to counter the BJP effectively.
Two key political figures are said to be facilitating these talks. One is the Chief Minister of an opposition-ruled state, while the other is a former Chief Minister from a state where his party recently suffered an electoral defeat at the hands of the BJP. Following the election loss, these leaders analysed the results and concluded that the BJP secured victory largely due to the fragmentation of opposition votes. Determined to prevent a similar outcome in Uttar Pradesh, they have urged Akhilesh Yadav, national president of the Samajwadi Party, and Mayawati, the supremo of the Bahujan Samaj Party, to set aside their past differences and unite against the BJP in the upcoming state elections.
Notably, in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP secured a consecutive second-term victory with a dominant 41.3% vote share, followed by the SP at 32%. The BSP secured the third-highest vote share, garnering 12.9% of the total votes. However, both SP and BSP saw a significant decline in their performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with SP receiving only 4.62% of the vote share and BSP managing just 2.06%.
Significantly, both Yadav and Mayawati have acknowledged the proposal and initiated preliminary discussions. The two leaders are expected to hold a closed-door meeting next month to further deliberate on the alliance.
“If these talks progress positively, we could witness BSP and SP contesting together against the BJP in the upcoming UP elections,” a source revealed.