UP: BSP eyes Muslim votes, fields 62 Muslim candidates among total of 231 in four phases

The Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), despite not grabbing as much attention as the BJP or the Samajwadi Party, has been amping up its presence among the Muslim community as well as the backward classes in Uttar Pradesh.

Lucknow:The Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), despite not grabbing as much attention as the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Samajwadi Party, has been amping up its presence among the Muslim community as well as the backward classes in Uttar Pradesh. The move, which can prove to be effective in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, was shown through its assigning of candidates.

The BSP, which so far has released its candidate list for four phases, has fielded 62 Muslim candidates among its list of 231 total candidates. Among the 62, significantly, 49 also come under the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, in effect securing representation across lines of religion and caste identity.

This underlines an increase in the percentage of Muslim candidates, as evident when comparing data from the 2017 assembly elections with the upcoming polls.

The BSP had provided candidatures to Muslims in 99 seats out of the total of 403 back in 2017, totaling at 24.56% of total candidates. Comparably, 62 out of 231 candidates (so far), however, pushes it to 26.8% this year.

The Mayawati-led party also appears to have attempted a diversified approach, with 21% of candidatures having been assigned to candidates from the Dalit community, and 11.68% to Brahmin contestants.

It is noteworthy that the caste-equation by parties or political experts does not always ring true. In 2017, the BJP's victory saw the party receiving votes across different sections of society.

Out of 99 Muslim candidates, BSP too was able to secure places in the Legislative Assembly for only 5. The current strategy, however, can damage the electoral prospects of the Samajwadi Party, which is looking to gain a large chunk of votes from OBC, Muslim, and other groups.

Among the total voter base in Uttar Pradesh, around 52% belong to the OBC community, which comprises about 79 castes. In this regard, the 49 crossovers in the BSP candidature between Muslim and OBC groups can prove to be a crucial factor.