Attacking her former alliance partner Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said on October 29 that her party would ensure the defeat of Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) in future elections, including those of MLC and Rajya Sabha, even if it meant voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The development comes against the backdrop of six of BSP MLAs reportedly meeting Yadav and later throwing hints that they may switch sides. According to reports, Mayawati has now suspended the rebel MLAs.
In a statement, Mayawati today also said that BSP should not have partnered with SP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and that her party should have "thought a bit deeply" about it.
"I want to disclose that when we decided to contest polls with Samajwadi Party for Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, we worked very hard for it but from day-1 of our coalition, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav kept telling S C Mishra that since BSP-SP had joined hands, I should take back my June 1995 case," Mayawati said, according to a report by The Indian Express.
"When we saw Samajwadi Party’s behaviour towards us after the Lok Sabha election results, we realised that we have committed a big mistake by taking back our 2nd June 1995 case against them and we shouldn’t have joined hands with them. We should’ve thought a bit deeply," she added.
Mayawati was referring to the infamous "Guest House episode" when SP legislators and workers went on a rampage at the State Guest House in Lucknow in 1995. Mayawati reportedly had shut herself inside a room and had to be rescued by BJP MLA Brahm Dutt Dwivedi.
As a goodwill gesture after the announcement of the alliance in 2019, BSP had moved an application in Supreme Court to withdraw the case against SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Eventually, however, the alliance had failed to work in Uttar Pradesh, with BSP managing to win 10 out of the 38 seats it contested and SP bagging only five of the 37 seats it had fielded candidates on.
