BSP's Decline Creates Space for New Leadership, But Mayawati's Base Remains Intact

The BSP won 30.43 percent of the vote in the 2007 assembly elections and formed an absolute majority government. After this, the party's vote share continued to decline. It received 12.88 percent in the 2022 assembly elections and about 9.39 percent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In 2022, the party won only the Rasra seat in Ballia. Umashankar Singh became an MLA from here. Recently, after his death, there is talk that the BSP may field his son from this seat. The declining popularity of the BSP has created space for new leadership in Dalit politics, but Mayawati's political base is still intact. She is especially accepted by the Jatav community and the party's cadre voters. Mayawati's tough decisions on law and order are discussed today. The party is preparing to show its cadre strength by organizing an event in Lucknow in December.