Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday ruled out any alliance with the Samajwadi Party and asserted that her party would go it alone in the Assembly elections.
Speaking to the media outside Parliament, she dismissed the suggestion of forging a joint front and said that for her, self-respect came before power. Ms. Mayawati was reacting to the idea proposed by RJD chief Lalu Prasad for a joint front in Uttar Pradesh between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP to combat the BJP. SP supremo Mulayam Singh earlier indicated that he was open to the idea provided Mr. Lalu Prasad “mediated”.
Dismissing the idea, Ms. Mayawati said, “For these two Yadavs, power comes before self-respect, but for me self-respect comes before power. Mr. Mulayam Singh is already colluding with communal forces. There is no question of my allying with the Samajwadi Party.”
