BSP to go solo in UP bypolls, personal relations with Akhilesh & Dimple intact: Mayawati

A total of 11 assembly bypolls are due in UP after MLAs won the Lok Sabha polls. Her remarks assume significance as the BSP does not usually contest bypolls.

BSP chief Mayawati (PIC/ANI)

New Delhi: Mayawati on Tuesday said her Bahujan Samaj Party (SP) will not partner with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for upcoming bypolls in Uttar Pradesh. BSP will contest the bypolls to 11 assembly segments alone, she said citing political compulsions that were necessitated after the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Mayawati, however, said her personal relations with SP chief Akhilesh and his wife Dimple haven't soured as they have given her "immense respect." Mayawati on Monday told her party workers  that the Lok Sabha poll drubbing in Uttar Pradesh was due to the "poor performance" of the alliance with the SP. She said she can't be railroaded into continuing the alliance when the partnership has not delivered desired results. Laying the blame on SP, Mayawati today said, "the base vote of Samajwadi Party, the Yadav community, didn't support the party. Even strong contenders of SP were defeated." The Dalit leader accused Samajwadi Party workers of working against the mahagathbandhan at several constituencies in her party meeting yesterday. She hit out at Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSPL) chief Shivpal Yadav for transferring the alliance votes to BJP. Mayawati said her decision to contest separately for byelections should not be seen as a permanent break from her alliance with SP. "The alliance on larger level is intact but will have to review and part ways if Akhilesh Yadav is unable to convince his cadre to work like BSP's" she said today.

BSP Chief Mayawati on SP-BSP coalition: It's not a permanent break. If we feel in future that SP Chief succeeds in his political work, we'll again work together. But if he doesn't succeed, it'll be good for us to work separately. So we've decided to fight the by-elections alone. pic.twitter.com/VP20N4zL4Y

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 4, 2019

For upcoming bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, whose dates aren't announced yet, Mayawati has deputed four party leaders on each of the state's four regions to strengthen the organisational structure . Three among them are Muslim leaders. A total of 11 assembly bypolls are due in UP after MLAs won the Lok Sabha polls. Her remarks assume significance as the BSP does not usually contest bypolls.

BSP Chief Mayawati on SP-BSP coalition: However, we can't ignore political compulsions. In the results of Lok Sabha elections in UP, base vote of Samajwadi Party, the 'Yadav' community, didn't support the party. Even strong contenders of SP were defeated https://t.co/jt00Ca8scE

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 4, 2019

On Sunday, Mayawati removed the election coordinators of six states and state Presidents of two states due to party's poor performance in the national polls. The BSP chief sacked the coordinators of Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Odisha. The state Presidents of Delhi and Madhya Pradesh were also asked to stepped down since the party did not win any seat in these states.