Mayawati slams SP, terms earlier alliance as a 'big mistake'; hints at coalition with BJP

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday said that dropping the 1995 case against Samajwadi Party (SP) as a precondition to SP-BSP alliance was a 'big mistake'. Her statement comes days before the seven state assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will go to polls. 

Addressing a press conference, the BSP supremo stated that when her party saw Samajwadi Party's behaviour towards them after the Lok Sabha election results, BSP realised that they have committed a big mistake by taking back their 2nd June 1995 case against them.

"I want to disclose that when we decided to contest polls with SP for Lok Sabha elections in UP, we worked very hard for it but from day-1 of our coalition SP Chief kept telling S C Mishra that since BSP-SP had joined hands, I should take back my June 1995 case. When we saw Samajwadi Party's behaviour towards us after Lok Sabha election results, we realised that we have committed a big mistake by taking back our 2nd June 1995 case against them & we shouldn't have joined hands with them. We should've thought bit deeply," said. BSP Chief Mayawati.

She further stated that her party has decided that to defeat SP candidate in future MLC elections in UP, adding that BSP is willing to give its vote to BJP candidate.

We have decided that to defeat SP candidate in future MLC elections in UP, we will put all our force & even if we have to give our vote to BJP candidate or any party candidate, we'll do it," she added.

READ: Mayawati attacks UP govt over Gonda Priest's killing; demands stern action on culprits

January 26, 2019, witnessed one of the most important events in the political history of India—the coming together of Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) to seal an alliance, forgetting their two-decade-long hostility. After the alliance, Mayawati decided to withdraw her case against Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in the 1995 infamous Lucknow guest house incident.

The State Guest House incident took place on June 2, 1995. Mayawati, who was addressing a meeting along with party MLAs, was attacked by SP leaders after which she along with the MLAs locked herself in the room. However, four months down the line, after facing a near defeat in the polls, both the parties called it quits.

READ: Bihar polls: BSP president Mayawati asks voters to guard against tactics of rival parties

Uttar Pradesh by-polls

Seven state assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on November 3 and the results would be declared on November 10. Of the seven seats, five seats - Tundla, Ghatampur,  Naugaon, Bulandshahr, Deoria, Malhani are up for polls due to demise of the sitting MLA - two due to COVID. The other seat Bangarmau is up for polls due to BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was convicted in a rape case. As BJP had won six of the seven seats in 2017, it has fielded 7 candidates. Surprisingly, Congress, BSP and Samajwadi party too have fielded candidates on all seven seats each, hinting at a close battle in 2022 elections. 

READ: Akhilesh slams UP govt over law & order

READ: Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP for 'misusing power'; urges EC to intervene ahead of bypolls