Mahagathbandhan (2019)

The Mahagathbandhan (or Grand Alliance), or MGB,[2] or simply the Gathbandhan (Alliance),[3][4] was an anti-Congress,[5][6] anti-BJP,[7][8][9] Indian political alliance formed in the run-up to the 2019 general election under the leadership of two former Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party, along with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal and several other political parties, contesting in different states of India.[10]

This article is about the multi-state political alliance at the national level formed during the 2019 elections. For other such alliances with the same name, see Mahagathbandhan.

Mahagathbandhan
AbbreviationMGB
Founder
HeadquartersUttar Pradesh[1]
Political positionCentre-left
Seats in Lok Sabha
15 / 545

(SP - 5, BSP - 10)
Seats in Rajya Sabha
13 / 245

(SP - 9, BSP - 4)

The Mahagathbandhan left 2 seats in Uttar Pradesh for Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi to run in and Mayawati declared its support for the two.[11] The coalition alliance has brought together "two arch rivals" of the past, and have been campaigning at the grassroots level.[12]

Mahagathbandhan opposed BJP's Narendra Modi in the 2019 general elections.[13] According to the Business Standard, the Mahagathbandhan attempted to compete in the 2019 election using caste vote bank arithmetic.[2] The Mahagathbandhan alliance was projected as a "bulwark against a second term for BJP", but found little support among the voters and was "virtually swept away", according to The Tribune India.[14] In June 2019, Mayawati blamed the general elections defeat of the alliance on the weakness within the Samajwadi party, its failure to consolidate the backward caste votes. Mayawati ended the alliance. The Samajwadi Party confirmed the "undoing of the Mahagathbandhan", according to The Week.[15]

Background

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are the two largest parties in the 2019 Mahagathbandhan. Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav formed an alliance in the early 1990s, when they formed a coalition government in the state of Uttar Pradesh, with Mulayam Singh Yadav as the state's chief minister.[16] The alliance won the 1993 assembly elections against BJP. They used the slogan Mile Mulayam, Kanshi Ram, Hava mein ud gaye Jai Shri Ram in the wake of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, with the slogan meaning "Mulayam & Kanshiram Come Together, Jai Shri Ram Vanishes".[17][18] In 1991 and 1993 elections, Mulayam Singh Yadav transferred his votes to Kanshi Ram's BSP.[19][20] In undivided UP, BSP contested 164 seats and won 67 while SP contested 256 seats and won 109 in the house of 425 resulting in coalition government formed with Congress's support from the outside.[21]

On 1 June 1995, Mayawati accused Samajwadi party of usurping its voters and decided to end the alliance.[21] The Samajwadi leadership learned that the Bahujan Samaj Party had decided to end the alliance. On 2 June 1995, states the Indian Express, Samajwadi Party's leaders decided to raid BSP, create a breakaway group in the BSP, bring the breakaway group into the SP to keep power. These leaders, along with grassroots level workers of the Samajwadi Party, then went to the Bahujan Samaj Party guest house where a meeting was in progress. There, they surrounded the premises and began a rampage armed with weapons.[16][22] According to the Economic Times, the Samajwadi workers "hurled casteist slurs at her and threatened her."[21] The SP group is alleged to have beaten up the BSP representatives and workers with lathis (wooden rods), held them against their will, and had sought to beat up Mayawati. A Bharatiya Janata Party leader named Brahm Dutt Dwivedi, states The Indian Express, present at the site, protected Mayawati from a physical assault from the rampaging Samajwadi Party team.[16] This event, called the "Guest House Episode" in regional political history, led to a nearly two-decade split and bitter confrontation between the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.[16] After the fall of the government, BJP offered support to BSP to form the government. The journalist Subhash Mishra alleges that the BJP extended its support to the BSP in 1995 to divide the Dalit, Other Backward Castes and Muslim vote banks of SP and BSP.[23]

Both SP and BSP have alternatively held power and accused the other of corruption since 1995. In 2003, for example, Mayawati alleged corruption by Samajwadi Party leadership. Her government filed 136 charges against Mulayam Singh Yadav for misusing the state's discretionary fund.[24] In 2007, Mulayam Singh Yadav slapped corruption charges on Mayawati in the Taj corridor scam, according to The Times of India.[24] In 2009, while Mayawati was in power, her BSP party workers were accused by the opposition for framing them, burning their house, and of physical assault.[25] In 2012, the Samajwadi Party won the state assembly elections, and after the election results were announced, its workers physically assaulted the Bahujan Samaj Party leaders.[24] In 2013, Mayawati termed the Samajwadi-led government as "mafias, goondas and criminals" running the show, demanding the central Congress-led government to intervene in the law and order situation in the state.[26]

During a series of by-elections in March 2018, Mayawati ordered BSP voters to transfer their votes to Samajwadi Party candidates. The journalist Piyush Srivastava states that this defeated the BJP candidates in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies.[27]

Mahagathbandhan members
Party States/UTs contested Seats
Contested Won
Bahujan Samaj Party [28] Andhra Pradesh 3 351 0
Bihar 40[29] 0
Haryana 8 0
Karnataka 28 0
Madhya Pradesh 25 0
Maharashtra 44 0
Punjab 3 0
Rajasthan 25 0
Telangana 5 0
Uttar Pradesh 38 10
Uttarakhand 4 0
Samajwadi Party[28] Madhya Pradesh 2 43 0
Maharashtra 4 0
Uttar Pradesh 37 5
Rashtriya Lok Dal Uttar Pradesh 3 0
Loktantra Suraksha Party[30] Haryana 2 0
Punjab Ekta Party[31] Punjab 3 0
Lok Insaaf Party[31] Punjab 3 0
Punjab Front[31] Punjab 1 0
Communist Party of India (State level)[31] Punjab 2 0
Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (State level)[31] Punjab 1 0
Janta Congress Chhattisgarh[32] Chhattisgarh 0 0
Gondwana Ganatantra Party[33] Madhya Pradesh 1 0
Jana Sena Party[34] Andhra Pradesh 18 23 0
Telangana 5 0
Mahagathbandhan42315

Mahagathbandhan campaign
Mahagathbandhan leaders before a crucial meeting

Mahagathbandhan held many election rallies in different Lok Sabha constituencies.[35][36][37][38][39] BSP's unit Bahujan Volunteer Force and SP's unit Lohia Vahini worked with cooperation during campaign.[40] BSP pledged to offer new farming model in Himachal Pradesh.[41] In Punjab, Resurgent BSP drew huge crowds in comparison to Congress.[42] Mayawati herself campaigned for Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav[43][44][45] and herself voted for SP's cycle symbol first time in her political history.[46] BSP-LSP Alliance in Haryana created Dalit-OBC social coalition.[47] Slogans of Mahagathbandhan include Jai Bhim, Jai Bharat, Jai Lohia and Mahagathbandhan Se Mahaparivartan.[48][49] University of Oxford's Oxford Internet Institute conducted study which stated that Mahagathbandhan shared least junk news while BJP and Congress shared large amount of divisive and conspiratorial content on social media in 2019 elections.[50][51]

Support to Mahagathbandhan

Mahagathbandhan has received support from Aam Aadmi Party,[52][53] Congress,[54] Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti[55] and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.[56]

Opinion polls

In a survey conducted by the India Today group, the Mahagathbandhan was expected to have considerable success in the 2019 elections, being projected to win 58 seats in total.[57] According to a News Nation's opinion poll, the SP-BSP alliance was "likely to win 41 to 42 seats" in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP-AD alliance was likely to win 37 seats, and the Congress winning only 1 seat.[58][59] According to India TV-CNX opinion poll, the BJP-AD alliance was likely to win 41 seats, the BSP-SP-RLD alliance likely to win 35, while 4 seats were likely for the Congress.[60] Ambit projected BJP winning just 30 to 35 seats with 34.2 percent vote share and Mahagathbandhan getting 45 percent votes in UP.[61] Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed BJP would get less seats than BSP-SP-RLD combine.[62]

However, in the election, the Mahagathbandhan performed much more poorly than those projections securing 15 seats of 80, while the BJP performed much better securing 62 of the 80 seats.[63]

Views on other parties

In May 2019, Mayawati of the Mahagathbandhan accused BJP and Congress of being anti-dalit and anti-OBC.[64]

See also

References
  1. Bureau, Our. "Locked in a contest with Mahagathbandhan, BJP edgy in western UP". Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  2. IANS (15 May 2019). "BJP has numbers to crack MGB's caste code in UP's final round (IANS Special)". Business Standard India. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  3. For UP gathbandhan, RLD is first off the block, SP-BSP yet to get going, The Indian Express (2 April 2019)
  4. 'SP-BSP-RLD thagbandhan won't cross double digits', The Hindu (14 April 2019)
  5. "Opinion: With Typical Arrogance, Congress Dents Opposition Unity Again". NDTV.com. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  6. p, shilpa (11 April 2019). "We can become kingmakers: BSP chief Mayawati eggs on party workers". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  7. "BSP will play a role in 'balance of power' at Centre: Mayawati". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 10 April 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 April 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. "Since mahagathbandhan was formed, BJP lost sleep: Mayawati". Deccan Chronicle. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  9. Risks, Control. "India Elections: What To Expect Under Modi 2.0". Forbes. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  10. "Mayawati should be PM, says Pawan Kalyan after poll pact with BSP. She nods". Hindustan Times. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  11. "Lok Sabha elections 2019: Mahagathbandhan vote will go to Congress in Amethi, Rae Bareli: Mayawati". Hindustan Times. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  12. 12 Apr, ET Online |; 2019; Ist, 06 23 Pm, SP-BSP Gathbandhan: How effective is the alliance?, retrieved 13 April 2019CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "Mahagathbandhan standing like a wall between Modi and his second term". The Economic Times. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  14. Mahagathbandhan fails to make it, The Tribune (24 May 2019)
  15. Mahagathbandhan: Why SP is relieved Mayawati pulled plug on alliance, The Week, Puja Awasthi (5 June 2019)
  16. The story of the Guest House, Ravish Tiwari, The Indian Express (28 April 2019)
  17. Seetharaman, G. (23 March 2019). "Slogans that have changed electoral battles". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  18. "Lok Sabha elections in UP: Witness to historic SP-BSP union in 1993, this SP leader hopes for a longer inning this time". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  19. "Etawah, where 'gathbandhan' clicked in 1991". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  20. "From Mulayam-Kanshi Ram to Maya-Akhilesh, How SP-BSP Joined Hands to Halt BJP Juggernaut". News18. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  21. "Maya-Mulayam: Dosti, dushmani and dosti again". The Economic Times. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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  23. "Mayawati: Will SP, BSP join hands against BJP which split them in 1995?". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  24. Guest house episode of 1995 that soured SP-BSP relations, TNN, The Times of India (19 April 2019)
  25. Barbaric way of taming the opposition, The Times of India (16 July 2009)
  26. Mafias, criminals ruling UP: Mayawati, Press Trust of India, India TV (22 July 2013)
  27. "Votes transferred, Maya stands tall". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  28. "SP, BSP announce tie-up for Lok Sabha polls, to contest 38 seats each in UP – Times of India ►". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  29. "Election 2019: Meet the Young Contenders Taking on Political Heavyweights". The Wire. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  30. Dikshit, Sandeep (9 February 2019). "BSP calls off alliance with INLD, forges ties with Raj Kumar Saini's LSP". The Tribune. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  31. "PDA declare seats sharing".
  32. "BSP to fight on all seats in chattisgarh,JCC extends support". Business Insider. 10 April 2019.
  33. "BSP Announces 9 Candidates in Madhya Pradesh for Lok Sabha Polls". News18. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  34. "Election Tracker LIVE: BSP Ties Up With Jana Sena for Andhra Polls, Maya Says Want to See Pawan Kalyan as CM". News18. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  35. Chowdhury, Neerja (12 April 2019). "A changed Uttar Pradesh". The Tribune. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
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  37. "Daily Dispatch: Will SP-BSP-RLD Mahagathbandhan Defeat the BJP?". The Quint. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
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  40. "More about optics at Mainpuri rally as cadres of BSP, SP mirror bonhomie of leaders". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  41. "BSP candidate from Kangra seat won't take it lying down". Tribuneindia News Service. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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  44. "Modi not OBC by birth, says Mayawati". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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  47. "The Haryana leader who's uniting anti-Jat forces and could hurt BJP & Congress". ThePrint. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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  53. "Support 'secular mahagathbandhan', stop Modi-Shah duo: Kejriwal". The Asian Age. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  54. "'Will Help Mahagathbandhan Where We Can't Win in UP': Rahul Gandhi". The Quint. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  55. "Jat outfit to back SP-BSP on 23 Lok Sabha seats, Congress on two - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  56. "Jamaat-e-Islaami Hind asks Muslims to support 'secular parties' in UP". Times of India. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
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  58. "Uttar Pradesh Opinion Poll: 'Mahagathbandhan' may give tough fight to NDA, likely to win 41 seats- News Nation". News Nation. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  59. "UP: BJP vs Mahagathbandhan - who will win Hindi heartland state?- News Nation". News Nation. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  60. Crossing 272: Tough task for BJP, opinion polls suggest, The Deccan Herald (10 March 2019)
  61. "BJP to Get 30-35 Seats in UP, 190-210 Nationally: Brokerage Firm". The Quint. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  62. "Om Prakash Rajbhar resigns as UP minister, says SP-BSP alliance will win more seats than BJP". The Indian Express. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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