Mayawati ditches 'stubborn' Congress ahead of MP, Rajasthan elections

She claimed it was because of the Congress' attitude that the BJP remained in power in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and other states

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati on Wednesday said her party will have no alliance with the Congress party in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Rajasthan.

She claimed it was because of the Congress’ attitude that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remained in power in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and other states for a long time and yet the party had not mended itself. “If this was not so, why did the Congress adopt a stubborn attitude and offered meagre seats to the BSP in these three states when everyone knows our vote gets transferred...We do not benefit much from alliances,” she said referring to past instances.

Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said this was evidence that building coalitions wasn’t part of the Congress DNA. “They only give importance to the family,” Prasad said. While the BSP’s move weakens the Congress’ plans to have ‘grand alliance’ to defeat the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, the party’s response was measured. Party sources said they understand Mayawati’s compulsions in saying what she did, and alliances would take shape once the Election Commission announces the model code of conduct for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Mayawati’s statement had come in response to senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh stating that she and her brother were being arm-twisted by central probe agencies to not enter into an alliance with the Congress in MP. In turn, the BSP chief blamed Singh for the alliance not working out but said she respected the top leadership of the Congress. “I think the leader of the BSP has expressed mutual respect and confidence for Congress President Rahul Gandhi and our mentor Sonia Gandhi. I think that is the most important issue rather than reading multiple meanings in her statement,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

He said the BSP chief and Congress leadership have an “amicable, respectable, fruitful relationship and all other rough spots can be ironed out”. Surjewala said discussions between two political parties on alliances and seat adjustments are not discussed in press conferences.

“I think her statement says a lot and that is what you should read,” Surjewala said.

Congress sources also said they had anticipated the development. According to Congress sources, the BSP had been demanding 50 of the 230-seats in MP, which the Congress found unreasonable. The Congress had been willing to give BSP as many as 35-seats to contest, they said. On September 20, Mayawati-led BSP and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi’s party, the Chhattisgarh Janata Congress, had announced an alliance for the forthcoming assembly polls in the state. The Congress, however, had never been keen to have an alliance with the BSP or any other party in Rajasthan.