In a bid to bury the demons of her past alliances with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Thursday declared that her party would prevent the “BJP and its allies in the NDA” from forming the next government at the Centre.
With the BSP bidding to wean away Muslims from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Ms. Mayawati sought to dismiss allegations about the possibility of her supporting the BJP after the elections.
“In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has been tested thrice and there has been no change in its approach and mindset,” Ms. Mayawati said as she recalled the formation of the BSP governments with the BJP’s support in U.P.
Ms. Mayawati, who declared the list of candidates for all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, has put her faith in the Brahmin-Muslim-Backward Classes combination to complement her Dalit support base for upstaging her opponents. She slammed Narendra Modi’s candidature from Varanasi and Mulayam Singh’s from Azamgarh, saying it would deepen the communal divide in the State.
“The simultaneous decisions were part of a hidden agenda aimed at giving a Hindu-Muslim colour at the appropriate time,” the BSP chief told reporters. Fearing a communal backlash, the BSP president urged the Election Commission to keep strict vigil on the BJP and the SP.
