Sanjay Singh, the Rajya Sabha MP of Aam Aadmi Party who is always in news for one reason or another, met with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, and buzz about the alliance between the two parties is heating up. With UP elections less than a year away, the parties have started crafting alliances and deciding strategies.
AAP, whose candidates forfeit deposits every time in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is exploring the possibility of alliances. As per a report by the Indian Express, “Earlier, in January, Singh held meetings with Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, setting tongues wagging on the AAP joining the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha floated by Rajbhar”.
It will be interesting to see whether the meeting between AAP leader and SP leader brings any fruitful result because Akhilesh Yadav would be very reluctant to enter in any alliance given the fact that he has already burned his hand by allying with Congress in the 2017 assembly election and with BSP in 2022 general election.
1. मीडिया के एक न्यूज चैनल में कल से यह खबर प्रसारित की जा रही है कि यूपी में आगामी विधानसभा आमचुनाव औवेसी की पार्टी AIMIM व बीएसपी मिलकर लड़ेगी। यह खबर पूर्णतः गलत, भ्रामक व तथ्यहीन है। इसमें रत्तीभर भी सच्चाई नहीं है तथा बीएसपी इसका जोरदार खण्डन करती है। 1/2
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) June 27, 2021
Previously BSP supremo Mayawati said that her party will not ally with any other party for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Taking to Twitter, Mayawati announced that the rumors of BSP allying with AIMIM for the 2022 assembly elections are completely baseless and the party will contest alone. She said the except for Punjab, the party is not in alliance with any party in any other state.
1. समाजवादी पार्टी की घोर स्वार्थी, संकीर्ण व ख़ासकर दलित विरोधी सोच एवं कार्यशैली आदि के कड़वे अनुभवों तथा इसकी भुक्तभोगी होने के कारण देश की अधिकतर बड़ी व प्रमुख पार्टियाँ चुनाव में इनसे किनारा करना ही ज़्यादा बेहतर समझती हैं, जो सर्वविदित है। 1/2
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 2, 2021
Later she said that Samajwadi Party is anti-Dalit, selfish, and very narrow-minded and therefore no big party would like to ally with them. Thus, any alliance with BSP is already out of question.
With Congress, Akhilesh Yadav would himself avoid an alliance given the fact grand old party of India does more harm to alliance partners than good and this was evident in the 2020 Bihar assembly election as well as the 2017 UP assembly election.
Thus, as Mayawati said, SP is left with only smaller parties for an alliance and it might rope in AAP. However, given his bad experiences with alliance partners, Akhilesh Yadav would probably avoid even that.
SP emerged as the biggest loser of the 2019 SP-BSP alliance and Mayawati dumped Yadav just after the results, alleging that Yadav votes were not transferred to her party. Mayawati has said, “The alliance is bekar (useless). Yadav votes were not transferred to us. Even (Akhilesh Yadav’s) own family didn’t win the Yadav votes.”
In 2014, the BSP had failed to open its account and this time around it has won 10 seats. On the other hand, SP’s tally has reduced from 5 in the 2014 polls to 4 this time around. While the BSP gained from the alliance, SP turned out to be the biggest loser. Similarly, the alliance with Congress proved to be even more fatal in the 2017 assembly election.
Therefore, given his bitter experience, it is very unlikely that Akhilesh Yadav would ally with AAP but Sanjay Singh is still trying his luck and what will be the results is yet to be seen.