LUCKNOW: Commenting on the possibility of a tie-up between the SP and the Congress before Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, BSP supremo Mayawati on Monday said an alliance would be struck only if it benefited the BJP.
“An SP -Congress alliance in UP will come into being only if BJP gives its approval and if it (BJP) feels it will gain from it...the green signal will be given by the BJP after evaluating its gains and losses from such an alliance,” she told reporters here.
She said it was being stated that the BJP was exerting pressure on the SP chief and his family through the Enforcement Directorate, income tax department and the CBI using disproportionate assets cases, and “other weaknesses” to join hands with the Congress to divide Muslim votes and stop the BSP from coming to power.
Referring to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s frequent statements favouring an alliance with Congress, Mayawati asked why a person who had come to power on his own was so keen on contesting polls in an alliance. “Why is he so keen on taking the help of the Congress which is on oxygen in the state...This fact has to be understood in depth by the people of the state or else the SP will be able to reap its political benefit,” she said.
“The reality is that even if the SP contests coming elections in alliance with the Congress, it will not come back to power and the CM is well aware of this,” she said, adding if they contested in alliance and lost, the SP will put the entire blame on the Congress. “...(by doing so) the head of the SP government will be able to save his image in the eyes of the people...this has to be understood by Congress as well otherwise it (Cong) will go into oblivion in the state,” she said.
Taking the Bihar elections example, Mayawati said “just as all secular voters” there decided to defeat BJP, they will show the same unity here and defeat the BJP’s “dangerous” policies.