In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati decided to contest alone, securing 9.39% of the votes but failing to win any seats. Despite efforts by some Congress leaders to include BSP in the India alliance, Mayawati remained firm in her decision, believing that contesting alone would be more beneficial for BSP.
Although BSP didn't secure any seats, it garnered more votes than the winning margin in 16 constituencies, potentially affecting the outcome. If the India bloc had won these seats, the NDA's seat count would have decreased to 278, and BJP's to 226, significantly altering the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh.
The BSP's influence has been waning in Uttar Pradesh, evidenced by its declining vote share from 19.77% in 2014 to 9.39% in 2024. This decrease in support is not limited to BSP's core Jatav voters but extends to non-Jatav communities as well.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BSP, in alliance with Samajwadi Party, won ten seats, while SP secured five. However, BSP's electoral performance has been on a downward trajectory since then. In the 2017 UP assembly elections, BSP won only 19 out of 403 seats, its worst performance since 1991. In the 2022 UP assembly elections, BSP won just one seat, with its vote percentage further declining to 12.88%.
The dwindling electoral strength of BSP indicates a broader trend of declining support for the party, raising questions about its future political prospects in Uttar Pradesh.
