By abstaining from the swearing-in of Congress governments in three states, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have made it clear that forming an anti-BJP mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) for the coming Lok Sabha polls won't be an easy task.
The absence of both the BSP and SP has delivered a major jolt to efforts by the Congress and other opposition parties to form an anti-BJP alliance.
For the coming Lok Sabha polls, opposition parties have been making hectic efforts to unite various non–BJP outfits. The Congress had been wanting the various constituents of the grand alliance to fight the polls under its aegis to counter the BJP.
Recently, a meeting of key opposition leaders was held in Delhi, but the BSP and the SP had skipped that event too.
The anti-BJP grand alliance, if formed, has great significance in Uttar Pradesh because the state sends the largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha. Contesting in Uttar Pradesh will be an uphill task for the Congress as the BSP and SP have already made up their minds to fight the polls together. Now the main stumbling block for the Congress is whether the SP and BSP will go with the anti-BJP grand alliance.
Though in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the BSP and SP had announced support for the Congress governments, the two parties have remained non-committal on a larger, national alliance.
A few months back, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav had met BSP chief Mayawati and both discussed the possibility of an alliance between their parties.
At the swearing-in in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, leaders of various key opposition parties were present, except those from the BSP and SP. While West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee did not attend, she sent Dinesh Trivedi as a party representative.
Though spokespersons from both BSP and SP refrained from commenting on the issue of the anti-BJP grand alliance, the two parties skipping the swearing-in has caused heartburn to those looking forward to the smooth formation of such a front.
