BSP Chief Mayawati announced the party will contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election without partners, citing historical examples where alliances resulted in ‘one-sided’ vote transfers and weakened the party.
October 9, 2025: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati emphatically announced on Thursday that her party will contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections alone, ruling out any alliances. Addressing a massive rally in Lucknow on the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram, the former Chief Minister strongly criticized past coalitions, stating they only served to benefit her partners at the expense of the BSP’s own political strength.
Mayawati asserted that the fundamental issue with alliances for the BSP is a “one-sided” transfer of votes.
“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.
The veteran leader blamed a “casteist mindset” for the failure of these coalitions. She explained that while the BSP’s dedicated vote base transfers “one-sidedly” to the alliance partner, the reciprocal support from the partner’s upper-caste voters fails to materialize for BSP candidates.
“As a result, our candidates win fewer seats, and our overall vote share declines,” the BSP chief said, stressing that alliances weaken the party’s movement and its mission for inclusive development.
Historical Precedent for Going Solo
Mayawati also recalled historical election data to justify her decision. She noted that alliances with the Samajwadi Party in 1993 and the Congress in 1996 both resulted in the BSP securing a modest 67 seats.
The party’s fortunes, however, improved dramatically when it chose to contest independently:
- 2002: The BSP fought alone and won around 100 seats, boosting party morale.
- 2007: Contesting solo again, the party achieved a historic majority by winning over 200 seats and formed a full-term government on its own for the first time.
Beyond seat losses, Mayawati also pointed out the instability of coalition governments involving the BSP, stating, “Whenever we have formed a coalition government (in UP), it has collapsed before completing its tenure.”
The rally, which drew lakhs of supporters, solidified the BSP’s strategy to once again rely on its core base and an independent electoral path for the critical state polls.