The Bahujan Samaj Party had twice supported the Congress in forming the government in Rajasthan but the party did not benefit from it as the BSP legislators joined the Congress. To avoid such a situation, this time the BSP has devised a special plan so that no legislator can ‘escape’. The party’s state president Bhagwan Singh Baba shared the insights with The Daily Guardian in an exclusive interview that this time they have made a big strategy. Here is an edited excerpt of the interview:
Q: The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election is approaching. How many seats will you contest, and how many seats are you expecting to win?
A: The Bahujan Samaj Party will contest all 200 seats in Rajasthan. Our goal is to create a balance of power in Rajasthan, meaning that we have to hold the key to power. BSP candidates will win so many seats that we can form our government with any party, and we had planned for this well in advance. Last time, six legislators ran away because Congress bought them. We suffered a lot because of that. We know that when a small number of legislators win, they tend to defect. Therefore, more legislators will win this time.
Q: It is understood that you will contest on 200 seats, but you have identified some seats or districts where you are confident of winning.
A: We will contest elections on all 200 seats. We are focused on 60 seats this time including Alwar, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa, Sikar, Shekhawati, Jalore, etc, where our party has a strong presence. We conducted rallies and programs in these districts, and we received a good response from the people. This time, we are going to win a significant number of seats.
Q: You have a big problem with your party. Legislators who win with your party’s ticket later join other parties. How will you deal with this issue?
A: See, the problem is that there is so much temptation in politics today that every leader wants to go beyond. There is a desire to become a minister. Even those who have won six times have not been made ministers by Congress. Such situations exist in the BJP as well. However, BSP legislators who won were offered ministerial positions by Congress, and they ran. Those who did not become ministers were made board or corporation members. People are tempted by greed. However, we have a strategy this time to ensure that more of our legislators win. In 2008 and 2018, we supported Congress from the outside but they back-stabbed us. This time, we will win more seats and won’t provide unconditional support to any party. We will participate in power-sharing. This will be our strategy. We will attempt to make our legislators ministers.
Q: Prominent leaders of parties are touring Rajasthan before the election. Will the national president of the BSP, Mayawati, visit Rajasthan?
A: Mayawati has scheduled a four-day tour of Rajasthan. From November 17 to 20, she will conduct eight rallies in different districts of Rajasthan. Programs for public meetings are yet to be decided. However, Jaipur is not included in the first round because she will first tour the seats where there is a higher probability of victory.
Q: BSP doesn’t release a manifesto. How will people know your vision without a manifesto?
A: See, BSP believes in working. We have worked and will continue to work. BSP never releases a manifesto. The reason is that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar wrote the Constitution, and we follow the system he has provided. We want that system to be implemented, and this is our manifesto. SC, ST, other backward classes, minorities, economically weaker sections, and the weaker sections of the general category should have more rights. In UP, we formed the government four times and Mayawati became the CM. However, no separate manifesto was made. We believe in working for the welfare of all sections of society. Between the hollow promises of both parties, our manifesto is the Constitution of the country, whose provisions we work to implement. This is beneficial for every citizen.
Q: BSP has not allied with any party. What were the reasons behind this, and what does BSP think about Rajendra Gudha? Also, when will you field candidates on 200 seats?
A: BSP had already decided that we would contest the elections independently, without allying with any party. As for Rajendra Gudha, six MLAs who had won on our ticket in the previous elections have joined the Congress.
We have not given a ticket to any of them. The 2023 elections will determine how the public responds to Rajendra Gudha. Certainly, betrayal is not exclusive to anyone. Its impact will be visible during the polls. We have announced 50 candidates so far and will release the final list soon.