Lucknow/New Delhi: BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday announced her party will not forge an alliance with the Congress "at any cost" for the upcoming Assembly polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, dealing a blow to the opposition's efforts to stitch a united front against the ruling BJP ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Blaming the Congress for what she called its "arrogance" and "stubborn attitude", the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also said even though Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi appeared in favour of an alliance, there were other "senior leaders" who worked to foil any possibility of an understanding. Mayawati alleged the Congress had not mended itself and like the BJP betrayed her party.

Apparently stunned by Mayawati's announcement, the Congress hoped the BSP chief reposing her faith in Rahul and Sonia Gandhi will provide it a window of opportunity and "creases will be ironed out" with harmony. "The Congress is under the wrong impression that it can match all the tactics of BJP...If the BJP faces just the Congress, it can easily form the government. Still the Congress does not seem prepared for an honest alliance between opposition parties," Mayawati said in a statement circulated by the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP).

The BSP chief claimed that the people of the three states going to polls later this year were not in favour of the BJP returning to power but due to the Congress' "stubborn attitude", her party had to strike an alliance with a regional party in Chhattisgarh. Mayawati has announced an alliance with former chief minister Ajit Jogi's outfit in Chhattisgarh. Jogi was earlier with the Congress. "Now, the BSP has decided to go it alone in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. We will not fight the elections with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan at any cost," Mayawati said.

Mayawati claimed the attitude of the Congress showed it was not serious to stop the BJP from coming back to power and was "more interested in finishing the BSP movement and harming the party". Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Mayawati has expressed her sentiments and the party respects that. "She has reposed full faith in Rahul ji and Sonia ji and we respect that too. If there is harmony among Sonia Gandhi, who is our guide, and Rahul Gandhi, who is our leader, and Mayawati ji, then no fourth person can create a rift among them." "If there are any creases left, they will be ironed out mutually among them with harmony," he told reporters in Delhi.

Surjewala also said once the leaders have amicable, respectable, fruitful relationship with each other, "all other creases can be ironed out." To a question on whether the Congress still has hope left in an alliance with the BSP, he said the BSP leader has expressed mutual respect and confidence towards the Congress president as also Sonia Gandhi. "I think that is the most important rather than reading multiple meanings in the statement of Mayawati ji."

In her statement, Mayawati claimed it was because of the Congress' attitude that BJP remained in power in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and other states for a long time and yet the party had not mended itself. "If this was not so, why did the Congress adopt a stubborn attitude and offered meagre seats to the BSP in these three states when everyone knows our vote gets transferred...We do not benefit much from alliances," she said referring to past instances.

Mayawati claimed the BSP had always supported the Congress to check the communal parties. But instead of feeling indebted to the BSP leadership, Congress like the BJP, betrayed us, she said adding "there are a number of examples and the Taj Corridor issue is one such case". Mayawati said that though Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi wanted an alliance with the BSP, there were some "selfish senior" leaders in their party who were out to foil any understanding.

Congress leaders like Digvijay Singh do not wish for a Congress-BSP alliance, she claimed. "A selfish senior leader, who is also a BJP agent, in his TV interview talking about the alliance claimed the BSP president was under pressure of ED and CBI to deter her from entering into an alliance. But this is totally baseless," Mayawati asserted. "The Congress party's 'arrogance' is now evident and they feel that they can take on the BJP on their own. The truth is that the people are unwilling to forgive the Congress for their corrupt government," she added.

Digvijaya Singh said he has already made it clear that he respects Mayawati and has been in favour of Congress-BSP alliance from the very beginning and talks between the two parties have already been held. The BJP took a swipe at the Congress after Mayawati's announcement with its leader and union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying forging a coalition was not in its DNA and it only gives importance to the Gandhi family. "With whom the Congress allies is entirely their business, but in light of concerns and pain of Mayawati, I can only say that coalition is not a part of the Congress DNA. They only give importance to the family," Prasad told reporters in Delhi.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav also took a dig at the opposition over its unity efforts. "Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in 'progress'. First AAP and now BSP calling the bluff. Mayawati says Congress arrogant, a new revelation for her, and declares no alliance in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan too. Chhattisgarh already dumped," he tweeted.