INDIA, NDA both ‘anti-poor, casteist,’ says Mayawati; BSP will fight polls on its own

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati dismissed speculations of joining any alliance said her party will “single-handedly” contest the 2024 general elections.

“BSP, like in 2007, will single-handedly contest the upcoming general elections and four state assemblies by connecting crores of neglected and scattered people of the society on the basis of mutual brotherhood, rather than the ‘jugaad’ and manipulation done by opponents,” Mayawati posted on ‘X’ app today.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister dismissed speculations that the BSP may join the Opposition alliance bloc INDIA and urged the media not to spread fake news.

Further coming down heavily on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition bloc- INDIA, Mayawati said that, unlike BSP, most of the parties of both coalitions are “anti-poor, casteists and capitalists”.

“Policies of most of the parties of NDA and INDIA alliance are anti-poor, casteist, communal, pro-‘Dhanna Seth’ (capitalists) and the BSP has been continuously fighting against them. The question of contesting elections in alliance with them does not arise. Hence appeal to the media – no fake news please,” the BSP chief said.

Assembly elections are set to be held in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and Telangana later this year.

BSP had won six assembly seats in the 2018 Rajasthan assembly election. During the polls, the party had increased its vote share to 4 per cent up from 3.37 per cent in 2013. In Madhya Pradesh, BSP polled 5.01 per cent votes and won two seats in 2018. In the 2018 Chhattisgarh assembly elections, the BSP polled 3.87 per cent votes and won two seats.

Meanwhile, in an apparent jibe at the INDIA bloc, Mayawati in her post on X said that the Opposition alliance considers only those who join them to be ‘secular’ and if you don’t you are considered to be with the BJP.

“This is grossly unfair,” she said referring to the Hindi proverb. “Khisyani billi khamba noche” (A cat not able to catch mice will scratch the pillar in frustration) loosely translates to an embarrassed or ashamed person tends to vent his/her feeling by quarrelling.