At Mayawati’s village, frustration, doubts on the future: ‘party should rope in youths’

The youths from the Jatav community felt that the BSP’s poll campaign left much to be desired. “Maybe, the AAP could be an option,” a youth half-heartedly said, buoyed by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party’s landslide in Punjab.

As the BJP started running away with the lead, the group found a few fall guys. “First, (BSP leaders) Satish Mishra and Shamsuddin Rain should be expelled. The party should bring in young leaders like Jai Prakash Singh (former BSP vice-president who was expelled from the party in 2018). Though he is no longer with the BSP, he still campaigned for it. Let Akash Anand (Mayawati’s nephew) campaign throughout the year and reach out to everyone,” said Sanju Jatav, an arts graduate preparing for government job examinations.

An unscheduled power cut did not rile the group. “What’s the point of watching TV? It now gives me a headache as the results seem one-sided,” said Ravi, who works at a Ghaziabad mall.

A reference to Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who was trailing at the fourth position from the Gorakhpur Urban seat, was snubbed.

“At the moment, Mayawati is an undisputed leader of the Bhaujan samaj. Chandrashekhar was heading a (non-political) sangathan. Nobody had an issue with it. But by floating a political party, he may have hurt BSP’s votes,” Sunil, a construction worker, said as he enquired if he was winning.

Discontent was also simmering against Mayawati in the Gurjar-dominated village with some 600 households overlooked by the dome of her expansive bungalow. “One can’t win elections with limited campaigning in the last one and a half months. There was a time when all but four votes went to the BSP. Those days are over. To stay relevant or at least challenge the BJP and the SP, Behenji has to start now,” said Gyan Nagar, whose wife, Maheshwati, the village pradhan.

Around 5 pm, the BSP was leading only on one seat at Rasra in Ballia district, with its total vote share at 12.7%. In 2017, it had won 19 seats with a vote share of 22.23%; 80 seats (25.91%) in 2012; and 206 seats (30.43%) in 2007.

The BJP was looking to retain all three seats — Noida, Dadri and Jewar — in Gautam Buddh Nagar district while the BSP was trailing at the third position there.

Thinker and writer Chandra Bhan Prasad stressed that the BSP has “outlived its expiry date”. “I don’t see any other Dalit leader who can match Mayawati. Except her, the rest of the BSP leadership is plastic… Currently, there is no leader who can represent Dalits at the state or central level. As far as Chandrashekhar is concerned, he is not a Dalit leader and calls himself a Bahujan leader,” he said.