Mayawati reaffirms support for BJP in UP MLC elections, says 'will not let SP win'

BSP chief Mayawati on Monday reiterated her stand on supporting candidates from BJP or any other party to defeat Samajwadi Party (SP) in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh MLC elections.

"I had said that even if we have to give the vote to any other candidate even he or she is from BJP or any other party in the upcoming MLC elections in the state to give reply to SP for its 'anti-Dalit' actions. We can support candidates of other parties but will not let the SP candidate win. BSP stands by its statement," the BSP chief told ANI.

"However, Congress and SP are manipulating my statement for their own interest to cut Muslim people away from the BSP and to ensure that Muslims do not vote for BSP in by-polls on the seven seats," she said.

However, the BSP chief clarified that her party has not made an appeal to vote for BJP in any polls.

"In Bulandshahr, I have been told that BJP people are trying to propagate a video stating that BSP has supported their party. It is totally wrong. Whether it is Bulandshahr or polls to six other seats. Or Madhya Pradesh polls or Bihar Assembly elections, BSP has not made an appeal to its supporters to vote for BJP," she said.

She also pointed out that riots did not take place in Uttar Pradesh during the BSP-BJP regime.

"Even after forming the government with BJP, BSP had not allowed Hindu-Muslim riots to take place. While during the Congress-SP regime there were riots in the state... In 1995, when I formed the government, BJP-RSS people in Mathura tried to hurt Muslim sentiments. I had not allowed it due to which my government also has fallen," she said.

Notably, in a big jolt to Mayawati last week, five legislators of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have withdrawn their support to the BSP’s official candidate, Ramji Gautam, for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections.

The five legislators informed the returning officers that their signatures as proposers for Gautam were “forged.” The five --- Aslam Chaudhary, Aslam Raini, Muztaba Siddiqui, Hakam Lal Bind and Govind Jatav --- then went to the Samajwadi Party office to meet Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.

This unprecedented move by the BSP legislators is bound to rock the political equations in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.