Mayawati increases Akhilesh Yadav's problems, bets Muslim candidates

Despite being in the opposition, Mayawati did not join the India alliance formed against the Modi government and announced to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone. Meanwhile, in the last three days he has announced five candidates, out of which 4 are Muslim candidates.

Muslim votes have been against BJP in every election. If there is no Muslim candidate from any party, then these votes go directly to SP. Wherever BSP has fielded a Muslim candidate, SP has had to bear the brunt of it. The biggest example of this is the Azamgarh Lok Sabha by-election. Here the BJP candidate defeated SP by only 1.5 lakh votes. Whereas BSP's Muslim candidate got more than 2.5 lakh votes.

The effect of this strategy of BSP was visible in the assembly elections also. Something similar seems to be happening in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 also. If BSP fields Muslim candidates on this average, then the direct contest between SP and BJP will become triangular. BSP may not win, but it can play an important role in SP's defeat.

BSP has fielded former SP leader Akil Ahmed from Kannauj, former minister Anil Ahmed Khan Phool Babu from Pilibhit, Mujahid Hussain from Amroha and Irfan Saifi from Moradabad in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Fielding 4 out of 5 Muslim candidates is being seen as Mayawati's strategy to spoil Akhilesh's game plan.

Political sources claim that BSP has almost finalized the list of candidates for all the seats in UP. Their list has also been handed over to most of the divisional in-charges. On the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram, he will be declared as Lok Sabha in-charge in the program to be held at the divisional level from March 15. Along with this, they will be mobilized for election preparations. In the first phase, in-charges will be made for all the seats. After that the list of candidates will be duly released from the state level.

Party sources claim that some leaders who left BSP have returned home. Many of these are also former ministers. BSP is also making those who have returned home as candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. Most of these leaders are Dalits, OBCs and Muslims. These are such leaders who have support base in their respective areas. He left BSP and joined other parties hoping that something would happen, but if things did not go well, he himself expressed his desire to return home and contest elections on BSP ticket.