Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh alone was considered a trivial player but Mayawati's game plan has drawn a stumbling block for both ruling BJP and opposition SP. 

Mayawati's selection of candidate for the Lok Sabha polls goes as per caste dynamics in the state and it has likely created ripples in the BJP and SP, prompting the two prominent parties to redraw their strategies. 

The caste equations in fielding of candidates has not only made a triangular contest on all 80 seats, but on some seats, the NDA or INDI bloc candidates will directly face the BSP nominees. 

Notably, the BSP has named several Rajput and Muslim candidates, according to the caste dynamics of specific seats, forcing BJP and SP to undergo defensive mode. 

Addressing a public meeting, Mayawati even took a sharp jibe at BJP and SP for sidelining specific communities in the upcoming polls. She said, “The BJP is ignoring the Rajputs and the SP has sidelined the Muslim community in distribution of tickets. The BSP has given tickets to both the communities.

In an effort to woo the Dalit community, she tasked her nephew and BSP national coordinator Akash Anand to undertake campaign from Dalit dominated Nagina Lok Sabha seat where he also addressed public meetings in other reserved seats including Agra and Bulandshahr. 

Nagina was one among the eight Lok Sabha seats which went to polls in the first phase on April 19. The other seats were Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, and Pilibhit. 

The BSP played another masterstroke on the Mainpuri seat where the SP fielded former CM Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple. The seat which looked like an easy win for the SP, has now become tough as BSP has fielded former legislator MLA Shiv Prasad Yadav to dent SP's Yadav votes. 

Similarly, on Jaunpur and Budaun seat where BJP and SP fielded their candidates eyeing for comfortable win, the BSP has created ripples by playing the caste equation. From Jaunpur, Mayawati named Srikala Reddy, wife of gangster-politician Dhananjay Singh, against BJP candidate Kripa Shankar Singh and former MLA Muslim Khan on Budaun seat to take on SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav’s son Aditya Yadav. 

Mayawati has fostered the resentment among the Muslim community against the SP and anger among the Rajput community against the BJP. 

Addressing a public meeting in Moradabad, she said: “The SP has given ticket to a candidate belonging to Hindu community on the seat where majority of the voters are Muslims, whereas the BJP denied tickets to Rajput community candidates in west UP. The BSP has given tickets to candidates of both communities, according to their influence on the seats.”