In 1998 Lok Sabha polls BJP and SP did better than BSP. BJP bagged 57 seats and SP 20 seats. BSP could save on 4 out of 6 it earlier held. Congress could not win even a single seat and it was totally wiped out.
Rise of BJP and SP in UP was bad news for BSP. In other states too it fared badly. Congress and BSP alliance in Punjab was total disaster. The two parties could not win even one seat. BSP was wiped out from Punjab.
The result of UP was shocking for Mayawati and Kanshiram. All the bravado was gone.
In the general elections of 1998 the people had given a fractured mandate. BJP emerged as the largest group with 182 seats but it was far short of majority. Its tallest leader A.B. Vajpayee was able to win support of other parties, group to be able to form a government. RSS had begun to meddle in the affairs of the government to push its swadesi agenda against globalisation. The government was lurching from one crisis to another.
Congress wanted to fish in the troubled waters. It needed allies because it had only 140 members in the parliament for the second time. Sonia Gandhi had taken over the reins of Congress Party. She decided to align with BSP. The age of alliances and coalitions had come and no party could go it alone, Sonia Gandhi had realised it.
At the end of 1998 the two parties moved closer to work out a pact before Delhi, MP and Rajasthan elections. BSP had strong support in the pockets of scheduled classes. Congress sent a missive to Kanshiram to sound him about the agreement. Kanshiram appeared reluctant and dilly-dallied. At last through a third party a meeting was arranged between Congress representatives and Kanshiram.
A comical situation arose when two senior Congress leaders arrived at Kanshiram’s place for negotiations at the appointed hour. But there was no sign of Kanshiram. After a while he rang up the middle man and informed he wanted to make Congress leaders wait for him.
At last Kanshiram materialised after a long wait. The talks had just progressed to half an hour when Kanshiram suddenly got up and left. Later, the middle man did the talking and after a lot of bargaining an agreement between BSP and Congress was hammered out. The Congress would not regret as it won Madhya Pradesh.
Later, Congress made it three out of three by winning Delhi and Rajasthan as well. The pact with BSP had changed the fortunes of Congress and the grand old party appeared to be on come back trail. BJP was the loser in all the three states.
BJP was in trouble. Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi met Jayalalitha of AIADMK. Shortly later AIADMK withdrew support to Vajpayee government. The opposition claimed the government had been reduced to minority and Vajpayee must resign. A.B. Vajpayee used his personal charisma and gained the support of DMK and INLD.
Still it appeared 50/50 case which could go either way. Vajpayee badly needed 5 BSP members of parliament to vote for him. BSP was not making its intentions clear although Mayawati was rumoured to be determined to bring down the Vajpayee government. On 16 April, 1999 Mayawati assured Vajpayee that her flock was with him. But the very next day BSP voted against the government. By a single vote Vajpayee lost power.
After voting out BJP government at centre Kanshiram and Mayawati declared their revenge was taken. So, why did Mayawati gave a false assurance to Vajpayee? Kanshiram said it was an important strategy to lull BJP into inaction. Everything was fair in love and war.
