To fight BJP, BSP-SP alliance on the cards
What's the story
Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has announced that it will support once bitter rival Samajwadi Party (SP) in the ensuing Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls. The announcement came from BSP leader Ghanshyam Kharwar at a district level BSP convention. This marks the official political alignment between the two parties - an alliance which has been spoken about since the BJP's 2014 victory.
Twitter Post
SP spokesperson announces the alliance
BSP to Support @samajwadiparty in the LS By-Polls in Phulpur Gorakhpur . Much awaited decision by Mayawati Ji . Looking forward to contesting together creating a larger Bahujan secular alliance . pic.twitter.com/5uD4lOUYnT
— Pankhuri Pathak (@pankhuripathak) March 3, 2018
Bypolls
The significance of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats
The bypoll is on March 11. The Gorakhpur seat is perceived as a prestige fight for UP CM Adityanath, who held the seat for five successive terms before becoming the chief minister. The Phulpur seat is also up for grabs after it was vacated by Yogi Adityanath's deputy, Keshav Prasad Maurya. Maurya's 2014 win was BJP's first win in the traditionally BSP-dominated Phulpur constituency.
BSP-SP alliance
BSP-SP had, in 1993, beaten the BJP's rise in UP
This isn't the first time the BSP and the SP have joined hands. In the 1993 UP assembly elections, they came together to halt the rise of the BJP. Back then, Mulayam Singh Yadav became the Chief Minister of the new government. However, relationship with the BSP soured within two years, and Mayawati, with the help of BJP, took power in 1995.