Maya says BSP to contest all polls alone, draws flak from SP

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, June 24

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today made it clear that in future her party would contest all elections on its own, thus ending weeks of uncertainty over the future of SP-BSP-RLD alliance.

In a series of tweets, Mayawati said the SP attitude after the LS poll had made the BSP think if the party was capable of defeating the BJP. “Clearly, it is not. That is why the BSP will now contest all elections — major or minor — on its own,” she said in a tweet.

The announcement comes a day after she presided over a meeting of party workers and newly elected MPs to review her party’s performance. “Everyone is aware that ignoring past bitterness, anti-Dalit and anti-reservation policy stance of the SP and the poor law and order situation during their rule during 2012-17, the BSP faithfully followed the gathbandhan dharma in the larger interest of the country,” she claimed.

Yesterday, Mayawati had said that Akhilesh Yadav was against the idea of giving more seats to the Muslims. She alleged that Akhilesh had sent a message to her that giving more seats to Muslims would polarise the votes. However, she did not follow his advice, she claimed.

Mayawati had fielded six Muslims of whom three won. The SP gave the ticket to four Muslims of whom three posted wins.

Ever since the poll defeat, Mayawati has blamed SP and its national president for the rout on several occasions. It even went on to charge the party of indiscipline and failure to transfer Yadav votes to the BSP kitty.

Mayawati’s ranting comes despite the fact that the BSP managed to win 10 seats this time, while it had even failed to open its account in 2014. The SP had won five seats in 2014 which it retained in 2019, though it lost three crucial seats of the Yadav first family.

While Akhilesh has not reacted to Mayawati’s tirade so far, SP national spokesperson IP Singh today said with the BJP government lodging cases against Mayawati for the sale of sugar mills, she was under pressure of the Central Government to attack Akhilesh Yadav.

If Mayawati continued to do so, many of her MPs might desert her as they know they had won because of the SP support, he claimed.

‘Followed alliance dharma, SP didn’t’

• Mayawati said the SP attitude after the LS poll had made the BSP think if the party was capable of defeating the BJP. “Clearly, it is not,” she said 
• BSP followed the gathbandhan dharma, ignoring past bitterness, but to no avail, she claimed