LUCKNOW: In yet another setback to the opposition parties in their efforts to present a united front against the BJP-led NDA during the Presidential election, Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has decided to support the NDA’s Presidential candidate, Droupadi Murmu.
While interacting with media persons here on Saturday, the BSP chief and former UP CM Mayawati said: “The BSP has decided to extend support to Droupadi Murmu in the coming Presidential elections keeping party’s ideology and its movement in mind as Adivasi samaj is an important part of the party’s movement.”
“The decision should not be construed as support either to the NDA or to the BJP or even a stand against the opposition UPA. We have taken the decision considering our party and its movement for making a capable and dedicated Adivasi woman the President of the country,” the BSP chief said.
However, Mayawati did not mince words in expressing her chagrin over not being invited to the meeting of non-BJP parties convened by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi on June 15.“Mamata Banerjee invited only selected parties to the meeting which she called on June 15 to select an Opposition candidate for presidential election. Even when NCP chief Sharad Pawar called a meeting on June 21 then also the BSP was not invited. It shows their casteist motives and mindset,” added Mayawati.
She also slammed the opposition parties for deciding to field Yashwant SInha as the combined opposition candidate without finding it necessary to take her views also. UP has 14.86 per cent share of total votes for Presidential election. As per voting pattern in the election, the value of vote of an MLA in the state is 208 and that of an MP is 700. In this way, the total value of 403 UP MLAs stands out to be 83,824 and total vote value of MPs – 80 in Lok Sabha and 31 in Rajya Sabha – stands out to be 77,700 which together makes it 1,61,524.
The Bahujan Samaj Party has 10 Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha MPs but two of the latter three parliamentarians will retire on July 4 - 14 days ahead the election. The party also has one seat in the UP Legislative Assembly. On July 18, the BSP will have the vote value of 7,901 by virtue of having a lone MLA in UP assembly and 11 MPs – 10 in Lok Sabha and one in RS.
A joint front of the Trinamool, the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, the National Conference and the DMK met this month to pick a consensus candidate, settling on Sinha after Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah refused the offer to be the opposition candidate.