A day after an alliance of 26 Opposition parties announced that they will take on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA together, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday announced that it will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as well as the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh alone, without any alliance.
Addressing a press conference, Mayawati said, “We will fight the elections alone. We will contest the election on our own in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana.”
In states like Punjab and Haryana, the BSP chief added that the party can come into alliance with regional parties in the two states, adding a condition that the parties cannot have any connection with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the Congress-led alliance of Opposition parties.
She also accused the Congress of forming an alliance with “like-minded casteist and capitalist parties” to come to power.
Mayawati also said that the intentions and the policies of the governments of BJP and the Congress-led alliances have been the same for the poor, Dalits, tribals, Muslims, and other religious minorities.
“When these parties are voted out from power, then for the sake of vote, they talk in favour of the marginalised communities. For instance, Congress’ ‘Garibi Hatao’ slogan, and BJP’s announcement of Rs 20 lakh in the bank accounts of the poor, have only proven to be tall claims,” she said.
“It is for this reason that the BSP has maintained a safe distance from the alliance parties in power, as well as the Opposition parties alliance,” the BSP supremo added.
She added that there is no difference when it comes to the saffron party’s “kathni aur karni” and the Congress.
Mayawati also appealed to the weaker and marginalised sections to support the BSP, so that no other alliance can form a strong government, at the Centre or in states.