While the Samajwadi Party and Congress have deployed their top leaders in the campaign for the by-elections to the 11 Assembly seats and Firozabad Lok Sabha constituency on November 7, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the only star campaigner of the BSP, has kept away.

According to party sources, Mayawati isn’t campaigning to ensure that there is no consolidation of anti-BSP votes behind any single candidate in these constituencies, as happened in certain seats in the Lok Sabha election. “The gathering of huge crowds in her election meetings often leads to polarisation of anti-BSP voters,” a party leader said.

While BSP leaders, including party candidates, are reluctant to discuss her absence from the election campaign, S P Singh Baghel, the party candidate for Firozabad Lok Sabha constituency, admits that the low-profile canvassing suited the party. “The huge crowds at her meetings mobilise opposition parties. Perhaps this is the reason Mayawati has decided not to visit any constituency where bypolls are held,” he replied to a question.

Sources said Mayawati first realised that campaigning by her in a by-election could be counter-productive at the time of the Bhadohi by-election in March 2009. “She drew a crowd of more than one lakh at the meeting, but the party lost because of polarisation of anti-BSP votes behind the SP,” said a party leader.

The BSP has little to lose in the current by-elections. Of the 11 Assembly seats where polls would be held on November 7, the BSP had won only Lalitpur in 2007.

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