Within 24 hours of talks of bringing in all opposition parties under one umbrella in the next General Elections after victory of Samajwadi Party candidates for the two by-polls in the State, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, took a U-turn when she openly targeted Congress.
Mayawati accused Congress along with the Bharatiya Janata Party of functioning against the interest of the dalits, deemed to be core vote bank of the BSP. BSP supremo attacked Congress while addressing a Party rally in Chandigarh on Thursday morning. Sources said that the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, whose gamble of backing the Samajwadi Party for the bypolls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur in the state paid rich dividends, showed no mercy towards Congress during her speech in Chandigarh making it clear that she was still not convinced of all opposition parties unity to take on Bharatiya Janta Party in the next general elections.
BSP chief while targeting Congress’s government in Punjab said that the Party had not shown any concern towards the Dalits or even towards Kanshi Ram, the founder of the BSP. ``Congress government in Punjab had not taken the sacrifices made by the Dalits or Kanshi Ram very seriously so the workers should work hard to teach a lesson to the government”, asserted Mayawati showing that she had no soft corner for the Congress to go ahead with a grand alliance. Mayawati’s remarks surprised many BSP leaders as they felt that alliance with the Party could bring more positive result for the entire opposition in 2019 Parliament polls.
Branding Congress as Anti-Dalit, Mayawati went on to accused the Party for not implementing the recommendations made in the Mandal Commission. ``BSP had staged a dharna for six months after which then government led by Vishwanath Pratap Singh implemented Mandal Commission report”, asserted Mayawati while further targeting Congress.
A senior Congress leader here in Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee reacted to above attack on the Party by BSP chief saying that Mayawati always create hurdles for bringing like minded parties on one platform. ``Mayawati remained away from Mahaghatbandhan (Grand Alliance) move made by former chief minister of Bihar, lal Prasad Yadav last year”, the leader pointed adding that BSP having no ground in many states still fight on all seats just to facilitate victory of BJP candidates.
The leader said that the elections for the Assembly in Karnatka is also due later this year and to ensure BJP’s victory, she already declared to fight in alliance with other opposition Parties except for Congress so her attack on Congress in Punjab on Thursday in not new.