In a sudden volta face, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday blamed the Congress for breaking the secular alliance during the just-concluded Himachal Pradesh and upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls.
Earlier the former UP Chief Minister had preferred to keep her party away from the Grand Alliance floated by former Bihar Chief Minister lalu Prasad Yadav, to put up a significant opposition to the ruling BJP.
In a statement issued in lucknow on Thursday, Mayawati surprised everyone by claiming that though her party was opposed to the grand alliance in the past, but in order to defeat the BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, her party had taken the initiative but failed.
“In Gujarat, the BSP wanted just 25 seats from Congress, which it had lost in the last elections, but they refused to oblige. Similarly, we demanded 10 seats in Himachal Pradesh poll which was again turned down,” she claimed on Thursday.
“BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, who initiated discussions with Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, was frustrated with their attitude. Hence, we have now decided that BSP will go it alone in future polls,” Mayawati said.
She pointed out that the party had a bad experience during the 1993 Assembly poll in UP when it allied with the SP and then in 1996 when it joined hands with the Congress.
“An alliance could happen only when the number of seats is decided well before the polls,” she said.
The BSP chief made the remarks in a meeting of senior party leaders which was convened to pass directions for the coming Urban local Bodies polls, which the party was contesting on its symbol for the first time.
Mayawati also defended her decision to induct her brother Anand Kumar and his son Akshay into the party.
“We need a dedicated leader who would not succumb to any pressure to keep the BSP movement going. Anand Kumar and his educated son Akshay are the fittest persons to lead the party in times of crisis,” she said. Currently, Anand is vice-president of BSP, while Akshay is a party member.
“Kanshi Ram got me as his heir to fight for the dream of Dr Ambedkar. Similarly, Anand Kumar and Akshay would do the same after me,” she said.
The BSP chief also announced that her 61st birthday on January 15, 2018 would be observed as ‘Jan Kalyan Diwas’ and party leaders and workers would help the poor and needy.
She strictly warned party leaders and workers not to give her costly presents on her birthday. During the meeting of party leaders, the BSP chief said that for the first time the BSP was contesting civic polls on its symbol and directed leaders to expel rebel candidates who were contesting against official candidates.
“Though BJP is misusing official machinery in the civic polls and giving false promises through their Sankalp Patra , BSP leaders should put in all their might to ensure victory for party candidates. People should know that the promises of the BJP are just jumlebaazi like they did in the UP assembly polls,” she said.
The BSP chief also asked leaders to hold a grand function at Dr B R Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal in lucknow to observe the death anniversary of Dr Ambedkar on December 6.