Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Oct 12, 2004) said that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was the most interesting factor in the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and can make a big impact.

"With its vote bank extending from Vidarbha to Konkan, BSP can make a big impact. It has the ability to affect the performance of both the alliances in the State," BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan told reporters in Mumbai.

Mahajan came down heavily on Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her statement that BJP was backing BSP and Samajwadi Party (SP) for contesting the Assembly elections.

"The statement is shocking as both BSP and SP have extended their unconditional support to Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government at the Centre," he added.

BSP is the only national party that is contesting the maximum of 272 seats in the Assembly polls, he said. SP will not have any impact on the elections but the BSP will make its mark due to two major factors in its favour.

On one hand the dalit voters have lost faith in various faction of the Republican parties in the State, on the other the BSP supremo Mayawati has emerged as the major attraction of the dalit after Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahajan said.