NEW DELHI: BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday said her party will fight the upcoming assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh alone but can work with the SP in future if Akhilesh Yadav is able to “fulfil his duties”.
Mayawati added that the Bahujan Samaj Party’s relationship with the Samajwadi Party is never going to end and she will try to ensure that their relationship stays intact.
“On the other hand, political compulsions cannot be ignored completely and everyone knows that,” she said.
“The bypolls can be announced any moment now. Under current conditions, in Uttar Pradesh, we have decided to fight the bypolls – which will happen on some seats – all alone,” Mayawati told the media.
“If I feel that the SP president is able to fulfil his duties and convert his people into missionaries, then we can still walk together in future. There has been no permanent break as of now.”
If he is unable to succeed in his task, it will be better for the party to walk alone, she added.
The BSP chief called a review meeting in New Delhi on Monday to analyse the Lok Sabha results.
The BJP won 62 of 80 seats in the state while the ‘gathbandhan’ bagged just 15 with the BSP winning 10 and the SP five. The Congress got one seat and the Apna Dal (S) two. In 2014, the BSP could not even manage one seat.
Eleven assembly bypolls are due in UP after the respective MLAs won the Lok Sabha polls. While nine BJP MLAs emerged victorious in the LS polls, one each from the BSP and the SP were elected to the lower house.
“…I have to say with much sadness that the SP’s base vote – means ‘Yadav samaj’ – has not stood along with the SP even in areas where they are in high numbers,” Mayawati said.
“… Dimple Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav have lost elections from Kannauj, Badaun and Firozabad, respectively, and it has made us think a lot,” she added. (AGENCIES)