Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Won’t plead for seats to forge pact with Cong: Maya

MISSION 2019 Says will not bow to pressure tactics or conspiraci­es by rival parties

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

LUCKNOW : After announcing that the BSP will shun an alliance with the Congress in the Chhattisga­rh, MP and Rajasthan assembly elections, BSP chief Mayawati said on Tuesday that she will neither plead for a seat-sharing pact nor a pre-poll alliance with the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Paying tribute to BSP founder Kanshi Ram on his 12th death anniversar­y at the Bahujan Prerna Kendra in New Delhi, Mayawati said: “If the Congress fails to offer respectabl­e number of seats, BSP will contest elections on its own.”

LUCKNOW: After announcing that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will shun an alliance with the Congress in the Chhattisga­rh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan assembly elections, BSP chief Mayawati said on Tuesday that she will neither plead for a seatsharin­g pact nor a pre-poll alliance with the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Paying tribute to BSP founder Kanshi Ram on his 12th death anniversar­y at the Bahujan Prerna Kendra in New Delhi, Mayawati said: “If the Congress fails to offer respectabl­e number of seats, BSP will contest elections on its own.”

Later, in a message to party workers, Mayawati said she will not bow to pressure tactics or conspiraci­es by rival parties but continue her efforts to “win the master key to power”.

“The only condition BSP has put for an alliance is (a) respectabl­e (number of) seats. Instead of stitching an alliance, Congress leaders are following the path of the BJP to malign the image of (the) BSP leadership,” she said. Earlier this month, Mayawati shut the doors on an alliance with the Congress for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in a potential setback to the opposition’s effort to put up a united front against the ruling BJP. She, however,didn’t say a word about her party’s stand in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

On Tuesday, cautioning BSP workers against the designs of rival parties, Mayawati said they were trying to to weaken the BSP before the general election.

“BSP members are supporting the movement launched by the party and their only aim is to bring the BSP to power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. To counter BSP’s progress, rival parties are hatching conspiraci­es. Instead of retreating, the cadre will face the conspiracy and give a befitting reply to the rivals in Lok Sabha election,” she said.

Attacking the BJP government at the Centre, Mayawati urged party workers to start preparing for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The BSP chief will launch her election campaign in Chhattisga­rh by addressing a rally in Bilaspur on October 13.

 ?? DEEPAK GUPTA/HT ?? ▪ BSP workers paying tribute to party founder Kanshi Ram on his 12th death anniversar­y at the Kanshi Ram Memorial in the state capital on Tuesday.
DEEPAK GUPTA/HT ▪ BSP workers paying tribute to party founder Kanshi Ram on his 12th death anniversar­y at the Kanshi Ram Memorial in the state capital on Tuesday.

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