New Delhi: A day after the Assembly Election results were announced, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati made an address where she clearly point out that BSP was not a "Team-B to BJP", she said that it is always false and that "it is always BJP vs. BSP" war not only in a political sense but in principle and electoral as well, according to an ANI report.
She said that the party shouldn't be discouraged by the election results instead learn from it, introspect & and carry forward the party movement. The 77-year-old leader said that UP election results were opposite to the expectations of the BSP.
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"UP election results are opposed to BSP's expectations. We should not be discouraged by it. Instead, we should learn from it, introspect and carry forward our party movement, and come back to power," she said trying to encourage her party.
She cited the example of the BJP and said that before 2017, BJP didn't have high stakes in Uttar Pradesh and now Congress is in the same phase as BJP was. She said it was like a lesson that constant effort is required. BJP came to power in 2000 in Uttar Pradesh, but could not hold its government even for a year when Rajnath Singh was UP chief minister. Since then, the BJP could not come to power, and the state was ruled by the Samajwadi Party and BSP separately till 2017.
The BJP has retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. This is the first time in 37 years that a party (BJP) has been able to retain power in Uttar Pradesh after completing a full term. Narayan Dutt Tiwari in 1985 had secured two consecutive terms in the state.
During Thursday's vote counting, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Indian National Congress (INC) - were reduced to a single digit. BSP won one seat and Congress two seats. Moreover, the vote shares of BSP and the Congress party stood at 12.88 per cent and 2.33 per cent, respectively.