![Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati chairs a meeting of party's ...](https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-104324055,width-300,height-225,imgsize-64896,resizemode-75/lucknow-bahujan-samaj-party-bsp-supremo-mayawati-chairs-a-meeting-of-partys-.jpg)
The six MLAs, who won on BSP tickets in the 2018 assembly polls, had merged with the Congress, leaving BSP chief and former UP CM Mayawati very unhappy with the Congress. So, the party has given priority to the "loyalty factor" in its exercise of selecting candidates this time.
"Although we will field our candidates for all the 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan, we have identified 60 constituencies where we spent our energy to strengthen the party's support base in the last five years. Our aim is to become the balance of power after the poll results," BSP's Rajasthan unit president Bhagwan Singh Baba told ET on phone. According to him, the party has so far declared its candidates for the 10 assembly seats.
Mayawati's nephew and the party's national coordinator Akash had undertaken a 'Sankalp Yatra' covering Bharatpur, Dholpur, Gangapur, Karauli, Dausa, Alwar, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Hanumannagar, Bikaner and Jodhpur. The Yatra touched 144 assembly seats and Akash held 100 meetings during the 15-day Yatra. BSP aims to expand its base among the SCs, STs and OBC voters in this state.
![BSP to Go Solo, Aims to Play Kingmaker in Rajasthan BSP to Go Solo, Aims to Play Kingmaker in Rajasthan](https://img.etimg.com/photo/msid-42031747/et-logo.jpg)
The BSP has remained a third political force after the two major political players -- the Congress and BJP -- in the state in the last two decades. The party first made its presence felt after winning two assembly seats in 1998. East Rajasthan's Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Sawai Madhopur and Karauli areas are known to be the party's strongholds.
BSP also changed its earlier stand of supporting a government from outside. The party MLAs had joined the Congress in both 2008 and 2018 when the latter failed to secure a majority
"Unlike in the past, this time, we will become partners in the government if the BSP's support is needed to form the government. It means that we will allow our MLAs to become ministers in case BSP's support is required to form the government," a source in the BSP said. According to him, Mayawati had dropped enough hints regarding this at a meeting of the election-bound states in New Delhi a few months back.
In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the party entered into an electoral alliance with a regional political party -- Gondwana Gantantra Party (GNN) -- to contest the 2023 assembly polls. "We have so far declared our candidates for 41 seats. We have given special focus on the constituencies which are spread in Gwalior- Chambal, Mahakaushal and Vindhya regions of the state," BSP's MP unit president Ramakant Pipal told ET on phone.
GNN has a considerable support base among Scheduled Tribes voters in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
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