Grand Democratic Secular Front

The Grand Democratic Secular Front (GDSF), is a coalition of political parties in the Indian state of Bihar formed on 8 October 2020 after the merger of the constituents of the United Democratic Secular Alliance and a three party front. The coalition was formed in the wake of the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election and consists of 6 parties.[2][3][4][5]

Grand Democratic Secular Front
AbbreviationGDSF[1]
LeaderUpendra Kushwaha
Founded2020
Membership6 Parties
IdeologySecularism
Socialism
Social Justice
Seats in Bihar Legislative Assembly
6 / 243

(AIMIM - 5, BSP - 1)

History

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen announced an alliance with Samajwadi Janata Dal Democratic ahead of the 2020 elections in Bihar. RLSP, BSP and PSP declared another alliance for upcoming Bihar election. However these two separate coalition of political parties merged and formed a brand new alliance named Grand Democratic Secular Front and declared Upendra Kushwaha as its Chief Ministerial candidate for Bihar.[6][7] According to its leaders, the alliance was forged to converge the Dalit, OBC & Muslim votes.[8]

The bloc's ticket distribution plan gave due weightage to caste and communal representation in various constituencies. It was decided that the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party will contest on 104 out of 243 seats of the Bihar Assembly while Bahujan Samaj Party was to contest on 80 seats. The other members like AIMIM and Samajwadi Janata Dal were given 24 and 25 seats respectively while the minor players like Suhaldev Bhartiya Samaj Party and Janwadi Party Socialist were to contest 5-5 seats each.[9]

In the first phase of the election RLSP contested on 42 seats.[10] Relying upon its vote base which is Kushwaha caste, RLSP fielded 40% Kushwaha candidates in the elections . The Grand Democratic Secular Front of which RLSP was a constituent member relied primarily upon the votes of castes like Kushwahas, Ravidasis, and Muslims . RLSP in the first phase of elections contested a total of 42 seats amongst which it gave ticket to 17 candidates of Kushwaha caste while its ally AIMIM placed its candidates in Muslim dominated areas of Bihar.[11] Similarly in the list of its 37 candidates in the second phase also Koeri candidates were dominant accounting for 18 seats.[12]

The Grand Democratic Secular front however failed to perform as it claimed earlier in the Bihar Assembly Elections of 2020. Its only success was in obtaining six seats, five of which were won by AIMIM in the Muslim dominated Simanchal region of Bihar. The Bahujan Samaj Party also won one seat but the RLSP, the principal political party of the alliance performed badly and failed to win any seats.[13]

Performance in 2020 Bihar Assembly elections[14] [15]
Alliance Party Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Contested Won +/−
GDSF AIMIM 523,279 1.24% 1.03% 20 5 5
BSP 628,944 1.49% 0.60% 80 1 1
RLSP 744,221 1.77% 0.82% 104 0 2
SJDD N/A N/A N/A 25 0 N/A
SBSP N/A N/A N/A 5 0 N/A
JP-S N/A N/A N/A 5 0 N/A

Current members
Party Abbreviation MPs in Lok Sabha MPs in Rajya Sabha Seats in Bihar Legislative Assembly Base State
Bahujan Samaj Party BSP 10 4 1 National Party

Uttar Pradesh

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen AIMIM 2 0 5 Telangana

Bihar

ar

Samajwadi Janata Dal Democratic SJDD 0 0 0 Bihar[16][17]
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party RLSP 0 0 0 Bihar
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party SBSP 0 0 0 Uttar Pradesh
Janvadi Party Socialist Janvadi Party Socialist 0 0 0 Uttar Pradesh

See also

References
  1. "Owaisi forms separate anti-BJP front for Bihar and later join a alliance of BSP-RlSP and declare Upendra Kushwaha as a CM Candidate for upcoming Bihaar Election polls". 20 September 2020 – via Hindustan Times.
  2. "Yet another election front formed in Bihar". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  3. "Asaduddin Owaisi, Upendra Kushwaha Form Front Of 6 Parties For Bihar Polls". NDTV.com. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  4. "Grand Democratic Secular Front: Fifth alliance emerges in poll-bound Bihar". New Indian Express. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  5. "Bihar elections 2020: Six-party front likely to hurt NDA and Grand Alliance". The Economic Times. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  6. "AIMIM BIHAR aligns with SJD in Bihar, Owaisi wants like-minded parties to join". 20 September 2020 – via Indian Express.
  7. "कुशवाहा के साथ ओवैसी:ओवैसी से गठबंधन के बाद अजय प्रताप को भी रालोसपा में ले आये उपेंद्र कुशवाहा, जमुई सीट पर होगा रोमांचक मुकाबला" [Kushwaha with Owaisi: After aliance with Owaisi, Ajay Pratap has been brought to RLSP by Upendra Kushwaha, adventrous fight on Jamui constituency]. Dainik Bhaskar. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  8. Khan, Fatima (10 October 2020). "BSP, AIMIM, RLSP's new front in Bihar is eyeing Dalit-Muslim votes, could dent JD(U)". ThePrint. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  9. "Bihar elections: Caste factor reflects in selection of RLSP candidates". Business Standard. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  10. "RLSP ने जारी की पहले चरण के 42 उम्मीदवारों की लिस्ट, यहां देखें- किसे मिला कहां से टिकट?". ABP News. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  11. "जाति की राजनीति:बिहार विधानसभा चुनाव में 3 चरण में 100 से अधिक सीटों पर लड़ेगी रालोसपा, 40% होंगे कुशवाहा प्रत्याशी". Dainik Bhaskar. Retrieved 11 October 2020. Trans.:In the assembly elections, political parties are putting up more candidates for their base vote castes. The RLSP, the main constituent of the Grand Democratic Secular Front, considers the Kushwaha (Koeri) society its base vote. This front consists of 6 parties. Of these, RALOSPA will contest the most seats. The party will contest elections on more than 100 seats, including 40% Kushwaha candidates. The RLSP has fielded candidates for 42 seats in the first phase, of which 17 are Kushwaha candidates.
  12. "RLSP fielded 18 Koeri candidates in 37, BSP got 80 seats". Dainik Bhaskar. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  13. Ahmed, Wali. "Bihar-polls-owaisi-arrives-with-5-big-wins-hits-grand-alliance". Indian Exoress. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  14. "Exit of smaller parties dented Mahagathbandhan's chances of regaining power in Bihar". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  15. "Owaisi, Mayawati or Upendra Kushwaha: Why RJD-led Grand Alliance lost fort Bihar to NDA?". Zee News. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  16. "AIMIM floats secular alliance for Bihar elections". 20 September 2020 – via The Siyasat Daily.
  17. "Owaisi forms third front ahead of Bihar elections". 20 September 2020 – via The Indian Express.
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