The BSP enters the Lok Sabha election in Delhi with six candidates

NEW DELHI: The Bahujan Samaj Party has declared candidates for six of the seven Lok Sabha seats, throwing its hat in the ring alongside INDIA-bloc partners Aam Aadmi Party and Congress against Bharatiya Janata Party as a combined opposition team. The contest for the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi is primarily perceived as a bipolar one.

Laxman Singh, the head of the BSP in Delhi, predicted that the candidate for the parliamentary seat in South Delhi would likely be announced on Saturday.

In 1989, the BSP conducted its first election, fielding candidates for 245 seats, four of which were successful. That year, the party ran for five seats in Delhi but only managed to get 3.7% of the vote. Kanshi Ram, the founder of the BSP, ran for the East Delhi parliamentary seat and received 11.2% of the vote.

Even though the party has been actively participating in capital elections, its greatest showing was in the 2008 Delhi legislative assembly polls, when it received 14% of the vote, won two seats, and finished second out of six. But since then, its performance has declined. The BSP received 1.2% of the vote in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but just 1% in the 2019 polls.

In 2007 and 2012, the party sent 17 council members to MCD; in 2017, it sent three. But in 2022, it was unable to establish the account. According to a top party official, other parties try to recruit candidates from Delhi who begin to demonstrate their abilities.

Laxman Singh, however, was certain that the BSP would do far better than it had in the previous elections and that the party was ready to challenge the candidates of the BJP and the AAP-Cong coalition. “We have a sizable cadre base in Delhi and are a national party. You can’t treat us casually. The state head of the BSP in Delhi said, “You will see us fighting a strong election on all seven seats.”

Singh said that the AAP had stolen the BSP’s faithful vote share, which included Dalits and, in certain cases, Muslims as well, leaving them dejected. “Our voters are returning to the fold of the party. They would vote against them this time because they are upset with both the AAP and Congress, he said.

Although the BSP state unit is attempting to schedule a gathering in Delhi with party chief Mayawati, Singh said that national coordinator Akash Anand would undoubtedly speak to the populace in the city. “We don’t need the backing of any other coalition or party. On our own, we are able to compete,” Singh said.