Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Leading parties in UP step up to woo smaller parties with regional appeal

As the countdown for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections begins, Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a realignment of political forces. The smaller political parties with a regional appeal or influence over various castes are at the centrestage of the fresh political realignment as both the BJP and SP are wooing them.

These parties are trying to drive a hard bargain and get the maximum advantage in the pre-poll scenario. 

The alliances formed during the 2022 Assembly election are set for a change as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Samajwadi Party are working on new strategies for the parliamentary polls.

Along with retaining their hold on their vote bank, the political parties are working to make inroads into the support base of their opponents. 

The Apna Dal (Sonelal) led by Union minister Anupriya Patel that enjoys the support of the OBC Kurmi voters in east and central Uttar Pradesh as well as Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (Nishad) party led by Sanjay Nishad that is popular among the fishermen community stands firmly with the BJP.

The two parties reiterated their support to the BJP on Sunday in the presence of union home minister Amit Shah.

In order to consolidate its hold over the other backward classes (OBCs), the BJP is also trying to win over the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) led by Om Prakash Rajbhar.

The SBSP snapped ties with the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and then broke its alliance with the SP after the 2022 UP assembly polls.

Rajbhar is now oscillating between the BJP and the opposition. 

His major demand includes a seat in the UP legislative council for his son Arun Rajbhar and ministerial position for himself.

So far, the BJP has been non-committal on the issue. 

The Rashtriya Lok Dal which has been in alliance with Samajwadi Party is keeping on widening the alliance to include the Congress – something which SP is averse to.

The BJP is keen to break the Jat-Muslim formula of the two parties by getting the RLD to its side.

RLD president Jayant Chaudhary has made it clear that he has no intentions of joining the NDA but, in politics, promises are meant to be broken.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow last month to seek support against the Delhi ordinance.

This triggered speculations of a possible tie-up between SP and AAP since both are against an alliance with the Congress.

The Bahujan Samaj Party has stated that it would go it alone in the general elections.

BSP MP from Amroha Kunwar Danish Ali said the BSP should join the opposition alliance to defeat the BJP.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi has also sent feelers to the BSP for a tie-up in the Lok Sabha election.

AIMIM leader Shaukat Ali said secular parties considered Muslim and Dalit leaders untouchable. 

"An alliance in which there is no Muslim-Dalit leadership will fail to get the support of all the communities," he said.

The Congress that won one seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh and is buoyant after its victory in Karnataka Assembly election is still unclear about its role in the opposition.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Brijlal Khabri said the parties that want an alliance with Congress in the Lok Sabha election should come clear with their proposal and the central leadership will take a call on an alliance.

However, considering the pathetic position of the party in UP, it is unlikely that there will be much clamouring for an alliance with the Congress.