Mayawati replaced Munqad Ali MP by Bheem Rajbhar as state president. Munqad Ali was appointed as state president in 2019 to woo Muslim community. Now focus is to woo most backward castes.

There is realisation that most backward castes were untapped by other political parties and they play very important role in eastern UP.

It would be worth mentioning here that Rajbhar caste decides the fate of candidates in more than 50 candidates in eastern UP.

This decision was taken after poor performance of party in recently concluded by-elections for seven assembly seats.

It may be mentioned that there was decline in vote percentage of BSP in these bypolls and party failed to win a single seat. BSP was placed second in one seat and second in two seats and pushed to third and fourth in others by Congress.

There is realisation that consolidation of Dalits and most backwards would help the party to secure good seats in UP Assembly.

Mayawati would do everything to defeat Samajwadi Party and Congress in Assembly polls.

During recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections, Mayawati was upset that she announced that she would not hesitate to support BJP in MLC elections to defeat Samajwadi Party.

Mayawati was very angry with Samajwadi Party as six BSP MLAs met Akhilesh Yadav and pledged to his party candidate in Rajya Sabha polls.

Mayawati not only suspended these MLAs, she announced her intention to defeat Samajwadi Party.

She even regretted her decision to withdraw case against SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav regarding assault on her at state guest house on June 2 1995.

It is recalled that Mayawati withdrew this case which caused lot of bitterness between two parties since then when she entered into alliance with SP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

But there was t bonhomie with BJP during Rajya Sabha polls when saffron party refused to put up ninth candidate to ensure smooth sailing of BSP candidate who required additional votes damaged Muslim support.

As if it was not sufficient Mayawati issued statement that her party would support BJP candidates in MLC elections to ensure defeat of Samajwadi Party candidates.

This statement from Mayawati damaged her Muslim support not only in UP but also in Bihar where party was part of an alliance with MIM of Owaisi.

However, in order to control damage Mayawati said that she had been misinterpreted by the media and would not join hands with BJP in future.

But damage had already been done to her Muslim support base in Bihar as well in UP where performance of the party was very poor with decline in votes percentage.

It may be noted Mayawati had already replaced leader of party in Parliament Danish Ali by a Brahmin leader.

So message is loud and clear that BSP would no longer depend on Muslim votes who had shifted to Samajwadi Party and Congress.

BSP had played aggressive Muslim card when it gave tickets to more than 100 candidates in 2017 assembly elections.

But the manner in which BSP campaigned for her candidates and talked about unity of Muslims and her core voters in Dalit community and got fatwas issued time to time that the Hindu votes got polarised in favour of BJP as an adverse reaction and saffron party won more than 300 seats in UP and Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister.

BSP is facing tough challenge with large number of exodus from party including MLA's and former MPs and former coordinators to Samajwadi Party and Congress.

BSP is facing identity crisis and is being dubbed as B team of BJP by rival political parties Samajwadi Party and Congress. (IPA Service)