SP and BSP have announced the alliance in Uttar Pradesh. It was declared in a joint press conference done by BSP supremo Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The alliance’s sole agenda, according to both leaders, is to keep BJP out of power.
It has been declared that SP-BSP will fight on 38 seats each in Uttar Pradesh. RLD and other parties will have only 2 seats to contest. The alliance will leave two seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli for Congress to contest, although they declared that Congress is not a part of the alliance.
The share of seats has been announced, but which candidate will fight on which seat, is to be ascertained and announced later. The leaders asserted that agreement on seat sharing was decided after deliberation by both parties on January 4, at New Delhi.
The conference was started by BSP supremo Mayawati. She started by saying that the alliance in Uttar Pradesh will deprive the PM Modii and BJP President Amit Shah duo of sleep. She said that she is treading the path of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, and the alliance is just another step in that direction. She accused BJP of playing casteist and communal politics in the country and accused BJP of exercising capitalist and dictatorial attitude in the county.
However, she did not even spare Samajwadi Party and reminded them of their past deeds. She made reference to 1995 Lucknow Guest House case, in which many BSP workers and Mayawati herself, were heckled by Samajwadi workers, during SP-BSP government in UP, which was headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav. She said that she is allying with SP, only to further the interest of the nation and deprived classes of Uttar Pradesh. In mentioning this incident, Mayawati was economical with the truth since she failed to mention the RSS swayamsevak who risked his own life to rescue her.
Mayawati reiterated the allegations against BJP and said that central government and incumbent state government of UP is indulging in fake promises over issues like Ayodhya. She talked about the combining of backward classes and Muslim class, so as to clean sweep in the next elections.
It was followed by, blatant attacks on the Congress party. She accused Congress, of turning a blind eye towards regional allies, in states where the national party is strong. She said that BSP-SP will do same with Congress, and keep them aside in the elections. Mayawati embarrassed Congress by saying that in previous elections, Congress lost deposits and they only performed in the Gandhi bastion of Amethi and Rae Bareli.
The BSP supremo said that both central dispensation of BJP and Congress, are complicit in Defence scams. She said that Rafael issue will be the Bofors moment of Congress. BSP supremo said that both BSP and SP have tasted the bitter results, of allying with Congress. She made reference to BSP-Congress alliance of 1996 and SP-Congress alliance of 2017. Mayawati said that Congress is bad at transferring of its votes to allying party.
She then condemned CBI action against SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav in the Uttar Pradesh mining scam. She said that central is using CBI to further its interest against the opposition. She also said that BSP-SP alliance will sweep Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati however kept an out for herself by pre-emptively asserting that they will UP if BJP doesn’t tamper with EVMs. It is clear that if they fail to break the Modi juggernaut, the poor EVMs are all set to take the blame for it.
SP chief Akhilesh reiterated Mayawati’s words and added that BJP is indulging in caste-based politics. He accused BJP of asking for a person’s caste before registering an FIR, and before admitting patients in hospitals. He also said that BJP is not only dividing people but also Gods. Concluding his speech, Akhilesh Yadav said that SP workers must get the message that from now on, insult ofMayawatii is also his insult.
Both leaders warned workers against the party formed by Shivpal Yadav, who defected from Samajwadi party. They also, in unison slammed Congress party and have made it clear that they won’t ally with Congress or any other party like it.
As we had reported earlier, this alliance between SP and BSP and the ensuing drama of ousting Congress could just be shadow-boxing between the parties to get their caste equations right. It seems that the alliance of BSP-SP and Congress could be all set to form a post-poll alliance once the 2019 elections have been concluded.
