Split?
Shivpal may form Lok Dal
Growing Resentment
All is not well in BSP
The Bahujan Samaj Party may be heading for a split, post its disastrous performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Resentment is brewing within the BSP against the working style of party chief Mayawati. She has done nothing to review the poor performance of the party. BSP workers complain that by wooing the Brahmins in particular, Mayawati has abandoned Kanshiram’s ideology. Kanshiram’s “bahujan samaj” was about the growth of Dalits, MBCs and Muslims. Leaders who were close to Kanshiram say that the drift started with the striking of the BJP-BSP alliance in 1995, when she became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time. Her confidant Satish Mishra, a Brahmin, was instrumental in getting that alliance struck. Mishra’s father was associated with RSS. Mayawati totally ignored backward classes such as Kushwahas, Sainis, Patels, Nishads, etc. BSP workers are also saying that Mayawati gave 100 odd tickets to primarily upper caste Muslims, thus dividing the Muslim vote and playing into the hands of the BJP. Also, so many tickets to Muslims led to Hindu consolidation in favour of the BJP.
Popular
Congress’ Rana may be Yogi’s candidate from Gorakhpur
Doubtful
Sharad Yadav may be opposition candidate for president
Janata Dal United’s Sharad Yadav may emerge as the joint Opposition candidate for President, to pre-empt Prime Minister Narendra Modi in case he lobs the name of Mulayam Singh Yadav. If Mulayam is named, the Opposition will not have any choice but to support him. If Sharad Yadav is named, the Opposition can even divide the BJP, as leaders like L.K. Advani, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha will support Sharad Yadav over MSY. But if there is no consensus, the Opposition can once again moot the name of Pranab Mukherjee. The names of Venkaiah Naidu and Narendra Jadhav too are doing the rounds as NDA’s candidate. Jadhav is a Dalit with an RSS background and is writing a book on B.R. Ambedkar.
Upset
Walia approached BJP
has been claiming that he donated money to the party fund, while the party says that it has not received any money. So where did the money go? Apart from Walia, ex PCC chief Arvinder Lovely and Haroon Yusuf are also upset. But then they have been opposed to Maken for a very long time. Former Delhi Chief Minster Sheila Dikshit has refused to campaign for the Congress in the MCD elections. She is giving the excuse that because she was Congress’ CM candidate in UP, for a little while, she now belongs to UP and should not be campaigning in Delhi.
Rising Tensions
Mamata feels anxious
Mamata Banerjee’s anxiety levels have shot up ever since her bargaining power over Teesta water sharing with Bangladesh has decreased, post the BJP’s remarkable wins in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand elections. The Central government is in the driver’s seat now. Mamata has been sitting on the matter for over a year and is in no mood to oblige Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. President Pranab Mukherjee has now summoned Mamata as he wants to mediate between Hasina and her. The Sharada and Narada issues have also hit Mamata’s bargaining power.