Mayawati rejects Rahul's alliance offer, calls Cong 'casteist' and 'two-faced'

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the Congress of 'dual character and casteist mindset' after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned her party's present political approach.

"Wherever the Congress is strong or in power, it harbours hostility and casteist attitudes towards the BSP and its followers. But in states like UP, where it is weak, it tries to mislead people by talking about an alliance with the BSP. If this is not hypocrisy, then what is?" Mayawati said in a post on X.

Mayawati's post came soon after Gandhi, on the first day of his visit to his Raebareli Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday, virtually accused her of staying away from anti-BJP front or the INDIA bloc during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"I wanted Behenji to fight alongside us against the BJP, but for some reason, she did not. That was deeply disappointing. If all three parties had united, the BJP would have never won," Gandhi said while interacting with Dalit students in Raebareli.

Congress and Samajwadi Party had contested the 2024 polls together in Uttar Pradesh and succeeded in limiting the BJP's advance in the most populous state winning 43 seats, including Faizabad Lok Sabha seat.

Hitting back at Gandhi, Mayawati accused the Congress of having a "dual character" and a "casteist mindset" towards BSP supporters.

She further argued that past alliances with Congress had always been detrimental to the BSP.