Lucknow: The coming together of arch rivals Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) to support the candidature of Meira Kumar as president could be a crucial step towards further consolidating anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forces in Uttar Pradesh, say political observers. “There is also pressure from the public who have started saying that all anti-BJP parties should come together on one platform,” he added. The BSP won only 19 seats in 2017 assembly in the 403- member House, down from 80 in 2012. This is its lowest tally since 1991, when the party won 12 seats. The SP won 47, its lowest tally since the party’s inception in 1992.

Source: Mint June 25, 2017 05:15 UTC