The Mahagathbandhan of opposition parties in Bihar is yet to finalise the seat sharing deal. Even before its constituents reach an agreement, the Grand Alliance led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) suffered another a jolt when BSP supremo Mayawati turned down an offer to join them. According to a report in The Indian Express, the RJD had invited Mayawati to join the alliance in the state but she rejected the offer. The report said that BSP is likely to contest all 40 parliamentary seats in Bihar where polling will be held in seven phases, starting April 11.
At a meeting with party leaders in Lucknow on Tuesday, Mayawati reportedly made it clear that the party will contest all 40 seats on its own in Bihar.
The decision came nearly two months after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav called on Mayawati at her Lucknow residence to seek her blessings and wish her on her birthday. “BSP has decided to contest on all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar with its complete strength,” a party leader told The Indian Express.
The leader said that the party leadership has identified 10 crucial seats where social equations could favour the party.
When a senior RJD leader was asked about BSP’s decision, the functionary told he IE, “When Tejashwiji met Mayawati on January 13, he had also invited the BSP to join the alliance in Bihar. The BSP has not communicated any decision formally.”
The RJD leadership believes that Mayawati’s reservation was because of the presence of Congress which is a major constituent of the Grand Alliance in Bihar. Earlier this week, Mayawati declared that her party will not join the ranks with Congress anywhere in the country and that it will contest against it.
In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the BSP had received 7.65 lakh votes in Bihar. In the state Assembly elections held in 2015, Mayawati’s party had got 7.88 lakh votes. However, the party couldn’t win any seat in both elections.