Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 7
Empty chairs in the first election rally of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday was an indication that the party had been finding it difficult to arrest its shrinking Dalit vote bank in Jammu.
The BSP, formidable in the early 1990s, was fighting a battle for existence.
The biggest task before the party in the ongoing elections was to consolidate its Dalit vote bank, gradually shifting towards the BJP and the Congress. Two regional parties, the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, have intruded into the BSP’s vote bank in some areas.
The last election rally of the BSP chief was held at Jammu on April 1 at the Parade Ground during the Lok Sabha elections. The venue of the April rally was jam-packed, but a large number of chairs were empty this time around.