Mayawati to go it alone: How BSP fared in previous UP polls

Mayawati announced on Sunday that BSP will contest Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh polls alone

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati announced on Sunday that the party will contest the Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh polls alone. The former chief minister’s party saw a rough month with a possible split after rebel legislators met with rival Samajwadi Party.

BSP is not new to defections, with many members migrating to opposition camps in recent years owing to Mayawati’s mercurial temperament and her inability to work with other leaders. After the party’s victory in 2007, vote share has been gradually declining.

BSP's vote share in UP Assembly polls. Credit: www.indiavotes.com

With Uttar Pradesh polls fast approaching, here’s a look at BSP’s performance in previous polls.

Explained | The events unfolding in BSP and what it means for UP 2022 polls

2007

Clinching the majority from the incumbent Samajwadi Party, BSP won the elections in 2007 with 206 seats, catapulting Mayawati to the CM’s chair for the fourth time.

BSP’s vote share jumped from 23.1 per cent in the previous election to 30.4 per cent in 2007.

Main opposition party SP won 97 seats with a 25.4 per cent vote share.

2012

Samajwadi Party won back the majority in 2012, winning 224 seats and a vote share of 29.2 per cent. BSP slid down to second place with 80 seats. The party was a runner-up in 206 seats.

Read | BSP to contest UP, Uttarakhand polls alone: Mayawati

2017

Ousting both BSP and its rival SP in 2017, BJP rode into the state bagging 312 seats and a 40 per cent vote share, with Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister. SP, in second place with a huge margin, won just 47 seats, while BSP was pushed back to third place with a measly 19 seats in its bag and a 22.4 per cent vote share.

BSP was the runner-up in 119 seats and in third place in 249 seats.