The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo, Mayawati, on Thursday launched an attack on the Samajwadi Party, a day after her seven MLAs rebelled against the BSP’s Rajya Sabha candidate and met SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The BSP chief slammed Yadav’s party for “revealing its true anti-Dalit face once again” and announced an immediate suspension of the MLAs.
“The SP and its people tried to kill me in 1995 but I was saved due to the blessings of the weaker section. Then, they fought and kidnapped BSP MLAs to save their government, which eventually came down due to this hooliganism. Even after this unforgettable incident, just to defeat communal forces, we decided to ally with them in the 2019 general elections,” Mayawati said during a presser.
Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party, the BSP chief continued, “But due to their family infight, they incurred losses in the elections, following which the BSP decided to move on alone. After the alliance in 2019, our party fought the Lok Sabha elections with full might, but the SP chief since day one used to tell Satish Chandra Mishra to ask me to take back the case of June 2. We took back the case, but after the results of the elections and the attitude of the SP, we regret doing that. We will not be having any kind of alliance with them in future as well.”
“The SP always had an anti-Dalit attitude and were keener on the withdrawal of the case instead of fighting the elections. Yesterday (Wednesday) once again they tried to show their true anti-Dalit face by conspiring to stop the BSP candidate, they were not successful and hence started alleging that the BSP was allying with BJP to win the Rajya Sabha polls,” said the former chief minister of UP.
The BSP chief said that when the notification for Rajya Sabha elections was issued in UP, Ram Gopal Yadav filed nomination. “National general secretary Mishra said it looks like the SP has fielded just one candidate and hence we should also field our candidate, else some big businessman will indulge in horse-trading of our MLAs. Mishra had called Akhilesh Yadav before fielding the candidate, but the phone wasn’t answered. Then his private secretary was called and he replied that he would be made to talk but it didn’t happen,” she said.
“Then, Mishra called up Ram Gopal Yadav and asked him if they wanted to field another candidate, to which the latter said that the SP will field only one candidate. Further, Mishra informed him that in such a case BSP will field one of its candidates, else BJP will field their candidate. Then we decided to field Ramji Gautam as our candidate for Rajya Sabha,” Mayawati added.
She said, “But just like the Congress, the SP also showed their anti-Dalit mentality and deceived us. Even after saying that they won’t field any candidate, they made an independent candidate file nomination on the last day. On the scrutiny day, the SP forced our MLAs to give a false affidavit that they didn’t sign the nomination papers. Ultimately their claim was found false and the BSP candidate’s nomination was found valid.”
Sharpening her attack, Mayawati said that the BSP will now look to defeat the Samajwadi Party at all costs even if that required to “side with the BJP”. “With the help of money power, the SP tried to break away seven of our MLAs. Now upset with the cancellation of nomination of their candidate they are alleging that the BSP is hand in glove with BJP. Today the BSP wants to announce that during the upcoming MLC elections, we will take revenge in the same way that the SP tried to betray us. We will with our full force defeat the SP candidate even if our MLAs have to vote for the BJP or any other candidate,” she said.
“I want to tell SP Chief that in the year 2003 when I left the government, the SP tried to break 38 MLAs of the BSP and took them on their side. In 2007 elections they were voted out and BSP came into power, then his father did this wrong thing, now following his footsteps he is doing the same and he will also meet the same fate just like his father,” said an angry BSP Chief.
Announcing action against the seven rebel MLAs, Mayawati said, “They will be punished for working against the party and are suspended with immediate effect. Also, the party post-holders are directed that these MLA should not be called in any programme of the party and as soon as they join another party, their membership will be cancelled under the anti-defection law.”
“In future, these 7 MLAs will never be allowed to contest from the BSP. People from their own communities will be fielded against them in future. The muslim community will get ample representation in the BSP in future also. The anti-Dalit face of the SP is now in front of the people. Good that their real face is out in the public ahead of the 2022 state assembly polls. The SP has always betrayed the BSP,” she concluded.
Earlier on Wednesday, five BSP MLAs claimed that their signatures were forged on the nomination papers filed by BSP Rajya Sabha candidate Ramji Gautam. Later on, two more MLAs along with five rebels went to meet Yadav at the SP headquarters in Lucknow.
These MLAs include Aslam Chaudhary, Aslam Rainee, Mujtaba Siddiqui, Hakim Lal Bind, Hargobind Bhargav, Sushma Patel and Vandana Singh.
Speaking to News18 after their suspension on Thursday, Rainee said, “We welcome her decision. We are now free to explore our interests.”
On the contrary, Chaudhary said he “was in the BSP and will be in the party”. “I have been an old BSP worker. Even after Behen Ji’s decision, we are still an MLA from the party,” he said.
Hakim Lal Bind said, “At the moment, five MLAs are present here, further strategy will be decided by meeting the remaining MLAs.” Patel and Singh were present at their respective residences.
Sources said that all the rebel MLAs of the BSP may meet the Samajwadi Party chief on Thursday.
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