People must be careful of rumours: Mayawati as she rejects alliance reports

Amid widening the rift over the INDIA bloc, and the speculation of many Congress leaders that are likely to join the BJP, the Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Monday reiterated that there is no alliance ahead of the Loksabha election and said that her party will contest the election alone.

"Despite BSP's repeated clear declaration of not forging an alliance with any party in the upcoming Lok Sabha general elections, spreading rumours about alliance every day proves that without BSP, some parties are not going to fare well here, while BSP is not going to do well. The welfare of our people is paramount," BSP Chief posted on X.

"Therefore, keeping in view the interest and welfare of the Sarv Samaj (Entire Society), especially the poor, exploited and neglected, BSP's decision to contest the Lok Sabha general elections on its strength with the body, mind and money of its people across the country is firm. People must be careful of rumours," she added.

Earlier, Mayawati reiterated her party's stand for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and said that her party will contest the polls alone.

Addressing a press conference here, the BSP chief said that her party may consider about alliance once the elections are over.

"Our experience with alliances has never been beneficial for us and we suffer more losses from alliances. For this reason, most of the parties in the country want to ally with BSP. An alliance can be considered after the elections. If possible, BSP can extend its support after the elections...our party will fight the elections all alone," she said.

On December 21, 2023, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, lashed out at member parties of the INDIA bloc, especially the Samajwadi Party (SP), who make comments on opposition parties that are not a part of the alliance.

"It is inappropriate for anyone to make unnecessary comments on parties, including the BSP, that are not a part of the opposition alliance. My suggestion to them is that they should refrain from it because you can never say who will need whom in the future in the public interest. It would not be correct for such people and parties to feel ashamed later. SP is a living example of this," said Mayawati.

Notably, Samajwadi Party reportedly opposed the move to induct the BSP into the INDIA alliance at the fourth meeting of the INDIA bloc.

The BSP, a Scheduled Castes-centric party, was a major political force in Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s and 2000s but witnessed a gradual decline over the past decade.

In the 2022 assembly elections, the party polled only 12.8 per cent votes, its lowest in almost three decades.