Looking to make a political entry in Maharashtra from where party founder Kanshiram began his political journey, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is planning to field candidates from all 288 assembly seats. The party has also announced the candidature of former IAS officer Kishor Gajbhiye from Nagpur North, which Congress minister Nitin Raut represents at present.
Gajbhiye, who was an additional commissioner in BMC, had contested the recent legislative council by-poll from Nagpur graduates constituency as an independent and surprised political pundits by getting around 19,500 votes from the traditionally BJP stronghold. BJP's Anil Sole won the by-election, which had been necessitated on account of Nitin Gadkari getting elected to Lok Sabha from Nagpur.
BSP national general secretary Prof Suresh Mane told dna that the party was planning to contest all seats without any alliance. Mane said BSP had declared 13 candidates from Vidarbha, where it has a committed Dalit vote base. South Nagpur represented by Dinanath Padole of the Congress, Devangana Gadhwe (Bhandara), Namdeo Thakre (Tumsar) and Pralay Telang (Hinganhat) are among the 13.
In keeping with its social engineering agenda, BSP has also reached out to social sections beyond its core Dalit vote base, including Teli and Kunbi communities which are influential in Vidarbha.
"The party has already launched an agitation for a separate Vidarbha. There is massive anti-incumbency against Cong-NCP govt. Inflation is on the rise and there is massive fiscal mismanagement. Atrocities against Dalits are rising... the state needs a new economic model," Mane said.
Despite Sena-BJP sweeping the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha, BSP, which has been seen as a spoiler by Cong-NCP in previous elections, managed to hold on to its base, getting around 95,000 votes in some seats.
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