Lucknow: Out of the four candidates announced by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for 2027 UP assembly elections, two are party hoppers and have been in the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party.Betting on Brahmins and Muslims, the party has named Vinod Mishra from Mungra Badshahpur constituency in Jaunpur, Ashish Pandey from Madhogarh in Jalaun, Abul Qais Azmi from Didarganj in Azamgarh, and Firoz Aftab from Saharanpur Rural.Their candidature has been confirmed by highly placed sources in the party, who did not wish to be named.Vinod Mishra, a party hopper, started his political career with BJP and later joined SP. He joined BSP fold about six months ago.Ashish Pandey, a first timer, was denied ticket by the party in 2017 and 2022.Abul Qais Azmi had contested the assembly elections in 2012 and 2017 on BSP’s ticket, but from Phoolpur Pawai in Azamgarh. Didarganj will be a new seat for him.Firoz Aftab quit the Samajwadi Party recently to join BSP. The party has declared candidates early to give them ample time to work in their constituency. However, considering that elections are still several months away, the party might change a few candidates by then.“The candidates are declared by coordinators appointed for respective regions. They also arrange a meeting of candidates with ‘Behenji’ (party chief Mayawati) before announcing their names. The party never brings out any list,” said a senior party functionary explaining how the party selects its candidates.The communities these candidates come from are in accordance with Mayawati’s latest outreach to upper caste voters, particularly Brahmins.Muslims too constitute a significant part of ‘Bahujans’ along with SCs and STs, all of whom the party claims to be its core voters.The party also studied the positioning of different castes and communities in each of the four constituencies where it declared the candidates.In the 2022 assembly elections, BSP could win only Rasra assembly seat in Ballia. It polled 12.8% of votes.
