Oct 11, 2024 7:02 PM - Connect Newsroom - Mandeep Sandhu
In a major political shift, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National President Kumari Mayawati has announced that her party will no longer contest elections in alliance with any regional party, including the Shiromani Akali Dal (ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ) in Punjab.
Addressing a party meeting after the recent Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir election results, Mayawati said the decision was taken following an internal review which found that BSP’s vote share was being transferred to its alliance partners, leaving party workers demoralized.
She stated that from now on, the BSP will contest all future elections independently, both in Uttar Pradesh and other states, to strengthen its organizational base and reconnect with its core voter base.
The decision effectively ends the BSP–Shiromani Akali Dal alliance formed ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, which was aimed at consolidating Dalit and Sikh votes across Punjab. Political observers say the move could reshape alliance equations in the state, especially as parties gear up for upcoming by-elections and future Assembly polls.