Opinion and commentary

SP’s bid for bipolar fight with BJP and how BSP could jinx the best-laid plans in UP

By Rahul Verma

India Today

March 5, 2022

As the campaign to win the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh enters its final stretch, the key question every election enthusiast after five phases of polling seems to be asking is which party is ahead and by how much. Can the election get overturned in the remaining two phases, if it has been a tightly contested election thus far? Why are Amit Shah and Mayawati making subtle praises towards the other? Seasoned politicians rarely do anything like this without some motives. As our analysis indicates, the seeming bonhomie between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is likely to be driven by the electoral maths of phases 6 and 7 in Uttar Pradesh.

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