BJP using Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death for Political gain: Mayawati alleges

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday attacked the BJP government alleging that the BJP is using former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death for political gains. Mayawati also accused the saffron party of hiding their failures using diversionary tactics.

“BJP Governments in states and in the Centre are trying to hide their failures by diversionary tactics. They have not fulfilled their election promises. They are trying to use Atal ji’s death for political gains,” BSP supremo quoted by ANI as saying.

When asked about the alliance talks between the Congress and Samajwadi party for the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She said, “Her party will only agree to alliance anywhere or any party if we get a respectable share of seats, otherwise BSP will contest alone.”

Mayawati has also refused any Bua, Bhateeja relation and said she is only related to the common man, Dalit and downtrodden people. On Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar referring to her as ‘buaji’ (aunt), the BSP supremo said that she has “no relations with such people”. “I am only related to the common man, Dalits, Adivasis and people from backward castes,” she said.

Army Chief Chandrashekar was booked under the National Security Act (NSA) by the UP government and spent 15 months in jail for his alleged role in the violence that broke out in Shabbirpur village in May 2017. 

Last month, Mayawati had vividly said that they will only forge an alliance with Congress party if they are ready to share a respectable number of seats.  BSP Chief on Thursday held both the previous UPA government and the current BJP government equally responsible for soaring fuel prices in India.

Mayawati’s comment came days after her party distanced itself from the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by Congress on the steep rise of the fuel prices. It comes as a huge blow to Congress, who expected to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together with BSP.

It was reported that the BSP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) – who joined hands for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections – will contest 30 out of the 80 seats each in Uttar Pradesh while the Congress will field its candidates on 10 Lok Sabha seats.  The remaining 10 seats are likely to be distributed among smaller parties like the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

Also read: Ahead of 2019 polls, Congress reaches out to Mayawati, Akhilesh for a mega UP deal: Sources