Karnataka - Bangalore   

BSP keen on increasing vote share in State

BANGALORE: Even though the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has decided to field its candidates in all the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka, the Mayawati-led party appears to be more interested in increasing its vote share in the State than in winning seats.

The BSP, which did not win any seats in the State during the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in 2004 and the Assembly elections in 2008, does not expect a major turnaround in its electoral fortunes.

“We may not have a real chance in most of the constituencies in Karnataka except for a few, including Bidar and Chamarajanagar, but we hope to substantially increase our vote share in Karnataka and lay the foundation for the party’s growth in the State,” general secretary of the BSP’s Karnataka unit Gopinath told The Hindu.

The BSP’s vote share in the State has been gradually increasing since 2004. The party, which contested nine Lok Sabha seats in 2004, secured 1.22 per cent of the votes. The party entered the fray in 102 of the 224 Assembly constituencies during the simultaneous polls and managed to get 1.74 per cent of the votes. Subsequently, during the 2008 Assembly polls in the State, the BSP contested 217 seats and its vote share climbed to 2.7 per cent.

“We want to more than double our vote share this time around. We hope to touch eight to 10 per cent,” Mr. Gopinath said.

By laying emphasis on increasing its vote share, the BSP is seeking to reduce the influence of other parties, particularly national parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, which it has dubbed “Manuvadi” parties.

However, political rivals speak dismissively about the party’s ability to make an impact. Congress leaders, who were earlier wary of the BSP’s entry into the State, point to the Mayawati-led party’s successive electoral debacles. “All the nine party candidates who contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2004 forfeited their deposit. Similarly, 100 out of the 102 who contested the Assembly polls in 2004 lost their deposit,” a Congress leader said.

However, BSP leader Mahesh said the party’s presence in the poll arena had already started upsetting the traditional voting pattern. In the 2008 Assembly elections, the BSP not only came second in two seats but also ensured the defeat of Congress in 14 seats. “The number of votes polled by the Congress and the BSP in 14 seats was more than that of the eventual winners,” Mr. Mahesh claimed.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

A little out-of-the-box thinking for children
Care to pause for a cause?
Murder accused commits suicide
Alexander bats for Sharief
BJP claims credit for BTPS
Vatal to launch ‘unique campaign’
BSP keen on increasing vote share in State
Sushameendra Tirtha swamiji passes away
Congress demands special observers for Shimoga
BJP fiat: candidates should not make ‘hate’ speeches
Slum-dwellers demand rights
Support for Sangliana
Seminar on political scenario
A retreat for artists
Ghanaian held on charge of selling cocaine
BMTC, an indifferent landlord
Man found murdered
Two die in road accidents
BBMP, NGOs divided over payment for sterilising canines
Over 75,000 more IIT aspirants this year
Bangalore Today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu