New Delhi: Expressing surprise at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati’s low profile ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said it is possible that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is “exerting pressure”.
“I am also surprised seeing... six-seven months back we use to think that her party is not active, maybe they will start close to elections,” Gandhi said.
“We were also very surprised that the election has started we are in the middle of the election and it has not become active. As you said, (she) is very quiet, I am not able to understand,” she told news agency ANI in an interview.
The BSP chief has already announced that she will not be contesting the assembly elections.
Meanwhile, the Congress general secretary also clarified her earlier remark that she might be the party’s CM face in Uttar Pradesh.
Gandhi said that her comment triggering the speculation was slightly exaggerated as she is always asked the same question.
“There are so many states and they have in-charges whether it is Congress or BJP. Do you ask them whether they are chief ministerial face or not?” Gandhi said.
“Why don't you ask them? Why is this question being put to me?” she added.
Commenting on the question of the alliance for Uttar Pradesh, the Congress general secretary said that her party has “experimented with alliances” in the past in the state.
“We had an alliance in 2017 with Samajwadi Party. Before that, we had an alliance with BSP. So, in Uttar Pradesh, this is the path we have chosen. I cannot speak about other states whether the Congress party would choose this path,” said Gandhi.
“I think it will have a dynamic policy about this and it will make a decision according to what those decisions are,” she added.
Voting for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7.
The counting of votes will be held on March 10.