'C in Congress stands for cunning': Mayawati hits back at BJP's B-team charge

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Sunday hit back at the rival Congress in Uttar Pradesh saying that the "C" in the part's name stood for "cunning". Mayawati's statement came after Congress had criticised her party alleging that the "B" in BSP stood for the BJP.

Congress accused the BSP of working as BJP's B-team after the saffron party clean swept the UP Zila Panchayat polls on Saturday. Countering the allegation, Mayawati said the 'B' in BSP stands for 'Bahujan', which includes Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes of the society who were neglected by the Congress after coming to power. 

"The 'B' in BSP stands for 'Bahujan' which includes Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and religious minorities. This group is in majority and that is why it is termed as 'Bahujan'," the BSP supremo said in a tweet.

Mayawati said the Congress was cunning because it asked votes from the 'Bahujan', but made sure that they remained their slaves. She further said that no election -- big or small -- could be held in a free and fair manner if the BJP, Congress or the Samajwadi Party were in power.

BJP wins UP Zilla Panchayat polls 

BJP emerged victorious on 67 of the 75 seats while the Opposition Samajwadi Party managed to secure just 6 seats. The victory of BJP-backed candidates in UP's local elections held on July 3 affirms the notion that people at the local and ground-level seem satisfied with the CM Yogi Adityanath-led government.  

On June 28, Mayawati had said her party has decided not to contest the Zila panchayat chairman elections as it wants to channelise its energy on strengthening the organisation before the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls next year. The move invited criticism from the Congress, which accused the BSP chief of having a tacit understanding with the BJP.