Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Monday said that Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati had not lost her relevance while noting that the Jatav vote bank was with the BSP and that Muslims too will vote for her party in a number of seats.
Asked whether this would help the BJP, Shah told News18: “I do not know if this would be an advantage for the BJP or a loss. It depends on the seat… it’s seat specific. But it’s not true that Mayawati’s relevance is over.”
Asked about the possibility of a post-poll alliance with Mayawati, Shah said: “But there is no need of an alliance, we will come to power with full majority. Support is needed of all parties later to do good work, even SP’s is needed. Opposition’s creative support is always needed. But there is no need for alliance with anyone to form a government. The alliance we have is good.”
Asked about Mayawati keeping a low profile, Shah said it did not mean her support base had entirely eroded.
Refuting the opposition’s charge of the BJP polarising the society, Shah denied that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement calling the UP election an 80 vs 20 battle suggested a contest between Hindus and Muslims in the state.
“I don’t think this election is about Muslims or Yadavs or Hindus. Yogiji may have spoken about vote percentages but not about Muslims vs Hindus… Voting pattern can’t be termed polarisation,” Shah said.
The Samajwadi Party, which has emerged as a strong competition to the BJP and has joined hands with the Rashtriya Lok Dal, is banking on the Jat-Muslim unity in western UP and also trying to woo the traditional vote banks of other parties. The BJP has been accusing the SP of exploiting the Muslims vote bank for electoral gains.
Speaking on the Karnataka hijab controversy for the first time, Shah said: “It is my personal belief that people of all religions should accept a school’s dress code. And the issue is now in court… Whatever it decides should be followed by all.”