BSP gives Lok Sabha election ticket to Danish Ali; former JD(S) leader in Mayawati's first list of candidates

Former JD(S) leader Danish Ali's gambit of jumping ship to the BSP appears to have paid off, as he has been granted a Lok Sabha election ticket by the Mayawati-led party to contest from Uttar Pradesh's Amroha constituency.

The Bahujan Samaj Party has released its first list of eleven candidates for the Lok Sabha elections which will be held in all of the seven phases in Uttar Pradesh, starting April 11.

While departing the JD(S) for the BSP, Danish Ali had lamented his former party's inability to grow in India's most electorally significant state, saying:

"JD(S) doesn't have a large organisation structure in UP. Despite all my efforts, I could not have raised it in my 'janmabhoomi, my 'karmabhoomi'...The way in which there is a threat to constitution today, it has become essential to use our energy with a strong leadership."

Danish Ali had also mentioned that he took the decision keeping JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda in loop, and vowed to put in his utmost for BSP chief Mayawati.

"I never asked for anything even when I was in JD(S), it was upto HD Deve Gowda ji to decide what work to assign me. I have come here after taking the blessings & permission of Deve Gowda ji. I will work wherever Behen ji assigns me."

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy also said that Danish Ali had joined the BSP with JD(S) consent. The JD(S) and BSP had been allies in the Karnataka assembly elections.

While Danish Ali will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections, his new party chief Mayawati won't be. Having made the announcement on Wednesday, however, she tweeted a big hint regarding her Prime Ministerial ambitions, saying that if required to take up a ministerial/PM office, she would have 6 months to become a member of Parliament.

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