Mayawati pulls out of Lok Sabha race; not to contest election

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 20

In a surprise move, BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday pulled out of the race for the Lok Sabha election, triggering speculation.

This is the second time a veteran opposition leader is withdrawing from parliamentary election.

Last week, NCP chief Sharad Pawar withdrew from the Lok Sabha poll after his party had officially said that he would fight from Madha in Maharashtra.

The withdrawal of the anti-BJP stalwarts from election is being viewed in political circles as a possible sign of acknowledgment of the BJP’s surge post the Pulwama strikes.

Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls also, top Congress leaders had decided to stay out of the LS race. Among them were then defence minister AK Antony, then finance minister P Chidambaram and veterans Digvijaya Singh and Kumari Selja.

All took the Rajya Sabha route to parliament.

Asked whether they saw Mayawati pulling back as a sign of her withdrawal from a possible PM race, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, “The Congress is going to form a government at the Centre and all parties that appear to be at variance with us will come on board and we will weave everyone in one string to govern the nation.”