Small parties with big ambitions

Though they are well aware of their positions in the UP Assembly elections, some political parties have entered into the fray in order to collect a few votes and be recognised outside their own states.

Many people seem to be baffled by the role that parties like the JD(U), Lok Jan Shakti, Trinamool Congress and the NCP have assigned to themselves, as everyone is aware of their fate in the polls. Too much speculation is unnecessary as these parties only want to collect enough votes so they can claim the status of a national party or gain recognition of their presence.

JD (U) is recognised in Bihar and Jharkhand. It requires two more states to gain the status of “national party”. Six per cent of the votes or a few Assembly seats is what it needs to gain state level recognition. So the party is trying in hand in UP and Manipur. In Manipur, its earlier presence has helped it become part of a larger alliance.

While in UP, the JD(U) wanted an alliance with the BJP, the saffron party was unobliging as their help would allow the JD(U) a larger claim to state level status. The JD(U) decided to go its own way largely banking on the Kurmi (caste to which the Bihar Chief Minister belongs) votes and the old socialist cadres who are unattached to any party.

The NCP led by Sharad Pawar has been successful in gaining a national presence by being present in many states. It relies on that strength and wishes to repeat its earlier experiments. The Trinamool Congress is new entrant to this experiment and wishes to expand itself. JD(U) and the TMC both wanted to help each other in this endeavour, but could not do much. The Lok Janshakti Party  may have the same ambition, it also wants to challenge Mayawati as the sole leader of Dalits. The LJP leaders never considered the BSP as the true party of Dalits.

Similar, ideological tussle and clash of personalities have been inspiring the Indian Justice Party of Udit Raj. Raj has long been trying to carve a space of his own among Dalits.