Can the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh stop the BJP from repeating its 2014 poll results. The Akhilesh Yadav-Mayawati combine can unite the powerful social groups such as the Yadavs, Jatavs and Muslims, but will it be enough for them to win UP that gives 80 seats to the Lok Sabha.
In its editorial on Thursday, Hindustan Times has said that though the SP-BSP combined strength has the numerical edge over BJP, they will need to tell a “better story” of why voting for it will lead to a better government in Delhi. The other challenge before them is to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presidential style election.
The SP-BSP alliance could alter the nature of 2019 elections because a substantial dip for BJP in the crucial state could diminish its prospects in the Lok Sabha polls. Both Akhilesh and Mayawati have realised that “continuous squabble” with each other could lead to political extinction. They have tasted victory by joining forces in the 2017 bypolls, winning Dalit votes as well. But politics is not only about arithmetic. To offset Modi, they need to have a better story to get the votes, the editorial said.
