After days of back-and-forth, Mayawati on Wednesday ruled out an alliance with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the two states where assembly elections are due this year. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief, however, has left the option open for the 2019 national election.
In a sharp attack on the Congress, Mayawati said in a statement “We will not fight the elections with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan at any cost.”
She ripped into the Congress for denying her the share of seats she wanted, saying it was because of its arrogance that it was out of power for so long in states like Gujarat.
Congress, like the BJP, is conspiring to finish off our (BSP) party: BSP Chief Mayawati to ANI pic.twitter.com/gCPoSSaaG1
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2018
“The Congress is not even willing to form a proper coalition, it doesn’t look ready. The question is whether the Congress even wants to defeat the BJP. It is because of this attitude that we went with others in Karnataka and Chhattisgarh,” said the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
She, however, left room for an alliance in the national polls just months away, not breathing a word about it today.
#WATCH Delhi: BSP Chief Mayawati’s reaction when asked if there is any possibility of a BSP-Congress alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha & assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/jAztvwiV7r
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2018
Last month, Mayawati announced a tie-up with Congress rebel Ajit Jogi in Chhattisgarh. The move was mostly read as a warning for the Congress, which had refused to accept the BSP’s demand for 50 of Madhya Pradesh’s 230 seats.
Mayawati even released names of 22 candidates in Madhya Pradesh.
Congress leaders like Digvijaya Singh claimed Mayawati was under intense pressure from the BJP not to join any opposition alliance because of a CBI investigation against her brother.
Furious at Digvijaya Singh, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mayawati called him a ‘BJP agent’ and rubbished his allegation.
The BSP chief said the Congress’s intention is not to defeat the BJP but to cause harm to friendly parties.
“Congress is trying to defeat their partners instead of BJP,” Mayawati said.