Mayawati Declares BSP Will Contest 2027 UP Elections Independently At Lucknow Rally

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday said that her party would contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections solo. She made the remarks while addressing a rally in Lucknow and stated that alliances in the past had only helped partner parties, PTI reported. 

The rally was organised to mark the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

"Based on our experience so far, I want to make it clear that whenever our party has contested Assembly elections in alliance — especially here in Uttar Pradesh — we have not benefited in any significant way," she said.

"Our party's votes get transferred one-sidedly to the alliance partner, but because of their casteist mindset, upper castes do not transfer to BSP candidates. This is the reality. As a result, our candidates win fewer seats, and our overall vote share declines," she added. 

She further highlighted that a coalition government including BSP has never lasted a full-term and that their vote percentage drops whenever they form the government through alliances. 

"In 1993, when the BSP allied with the Samajwadi Party to contest the assembly elections, we won only 67 seats. Again, in 1996, when we formed an alliance with the Congress, we won just 67 seats — the same number as before," she said.

The party, however, performed well when it contested solo in 2002. "In 2007, when we again contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election alone, we won over 200 seats and formed a full-majority government on our own for the first time. Our government completed its full five-year term and carried out several historic works for the welfare of all sections of society," Mayawati said.

With PTI inputs