Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday, 17 October alleged that a coordinated campaign of fake and misleading surveys was being run against her party ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab. The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said the campaign was designed to manipulate public perception of the BSP's electoral strength.

What Mayawati Said

In a post on X, Mayawati alleged that the campaign was being driven by what she described as casteist elements in the media and on social media, who were exploiting financial power to plant false narratives. She characterised the surveys as 'fake and sponsored,' intended to portray the BSP as electorally weaker than it is.

'In the context of the upcoming Assembly General Elections in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab, amidst intensive grassroots preparations, including the selection of strong and robust candidates for the party, a malicious campaign of fake and diversionary surveys/polls has already been initiated here by casteist media/social media, under a conspiracy leveraging the misuse of financial power, and it is extremely distressing and unfortunate that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is naturally being targeted in this,' she said.

BSP's Grassroots Push and Candidate Selection

Mayawati said the party was in the midst of intensive ground-level preparations, including the identification and selection of strong candidates for all three states. She insisted that despite the alleged disinformation campaign, the BSP's organisational work was proceeding with full force.

Notably, this is not the first time the BSP has flagged media surveys ahead of an election cycle. The party has a history of contesting pre-poll narratives, most memorably before the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, when it defied widespread predictions and secured a full majority to form the government on its own.

Appeal to Voters Tired of SP and BJP Rule

The BSP chief directly addressed voters in Uttar Pradesh who, she said, were dissatisfied with the current government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the previous government of the Samajwadi Party (SP). She urged them to stay alert to what she described as the opposition's tactics of 'saam, daam, dand, bhed (persuasion, price, punishment, division).'

'This appeal is to the entire society weary of first SP rule and now BJP rule in U.P., and especially to the people of the 'Bahujan Samaj,' that they must remain vigilant against all tactics of the opposition parties and casteist elements... and continue to devote themselves wholeheartedly and relentlessly to forming the BSP government for the fifth time under the leadership of their honourable Behanji, in which lies the welfare and security of all,' she said.

Political Context Ahead of Assembly Elections

The remarks come as political activity intensifies in all three states, with parties ramping up candidate outreach and ground organisation. For the BSP, which has seen its vote share and seat count decline in recent electoral cycles, the upcoming polls represent a critical opportunity to reassert relevance — particularly in Uttar Pradesh, where it has historically commanded a significant Dalit and OBC vote base.

As polling dates draw closer, the BSP's challenge will be to convert organisational activity and Mayawati's direct voter appeals into seat gains, even as rival parties contest every inch of the same social constituency.