SP-BSP back to old hostile ways?
The gloves are well and truly off SP-BSP relationship. A month after the shocking Lok Sabha election results, where despite alliance SP-BSP couldn't significantly dent BJP in Uttar Pradesh, in an internal meeting of the party, Mayawati slammed Akhilesh Yadav.
According to sources, after the electoral debacle, Akhilesh didn't reach out to her and only spoke with senior BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra. Earlier Mayawati had unilaterally broken the Mahagathbandhan for the upcoming assembly bypolls saying SP is struggling to keep its core voters intact. Explaining it as a brief break in the relationship, she had said that they may think about alliance in future.
But in the closed door meeting, Mayawati was much more severe in her views about why the alliance failed to work in the elections. According to her, the atrocities committed on Dalits during the Akhilesh regime meant that they weren't greatly enthusiastic about voting for SP candidates. Mayawati also claimed that during candidate selection, Akhilesh advised her not to give too many Muslims ticket as he feared it would lead to polarisation helping BJP.
Also Read: Mahagathbandhan gone: Mayawati says BSP to contest all future elections alone
However, according to Mayawati, she didn't pay attention to Akhilesh's advice. In 2014, not a single Muslim MP won from Uttar Pradesh. In 2019, six Muslim MPs won, three apiece from SP and BSP respectively. Despite alliance, SP-BSP could manage only 15 of the 80 seats and the rest went to BJP and its ally Apna Dal.
1. Mayawati attacks Mulayam
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Rekindling past animosity, Mayawati also slammed Akhilesh's father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mayawati said that apart from BJP, Mulayam was also instrumental to frame her in the Taj corridor case. The case has been long an albatross around BSP supremo's neck.
2. How Mayawati dumped the alliance after election defeat
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10 days after election result, BSP supremo said: "Ever since SP-BSP coalition took place, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav & his wife Dimple Yadav have given me a lot of respect. I also forgot all our differences in the interest of the nation, & gave them respect. Our relation isn't only for politics, it'll continue forever.".
Explaining her decision, Mayawati said, "However, we can't ignore political compulsions. In the results of Lok Sabha elections in UP, base vote of Samajwadi Party, the 'Yadav' community, didn't support the party. Even strong contenders of SP were defeated. "
Keeping the window open on future reconciliation, Mayawati said, "It's not a permanent break. If we feel in future that SP Chief succeeds in his political work, we'll again work together. But if he doesn't succeed, it'll be good for us to work separately. So we've decided to fight the by-elections alone."
Reacting to the development, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav said that he will think deeply over it and they will be contesting in all the 11 seats in the bypolls if there is no alliance in place.
11 bypolls to Assembly will be held soon as the respective MLAs won in Lok Sabha polls.
3. Mayawati's nephew and brother get plump posts
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BSP Chief Mayawati's brother Anand Kumar was appointed as the vice-president of the party while nephew Akash Anand was made national coordinator. The party also elected Danish Ali as the leader of BSP in Lok Sabha.
Party leader Ramji Gautam was also appointed as national coordinator.
Mayawati chaired a meeting with her party office bearers, members, legislators and parliamentarians to chalk out a strategy for upcoming by-elections to 11 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Senior officials and all members of parliament were present at the meeting along with state presidents from across the country.
