BSP will go it alone in 2024 Lok Sabha polls: Mayawati

BSP president Mayawati on Monday said her party would contest the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections on its own but did not rule out a postpoll allianceTalking to reporters at the state party office on her 68th birthday she also categorically denied reports in a section of the media about her retirement from politics and stressed that she will continue to strengthen the party till her last breathThe former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also said she has received an invitation for the January 22 consecration ceremony in Ayodhya but a decision on attending it has not been taken yet because of certain party programmesMayawati also cautioned her partymen against Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav saying that he changed colours like a chameleon to mislead themShe said after the Lok Sabha elections the BSP can join the government at the Centre on the basis of proper representation to the partyThe party will not contest the elections in alliance with anyone but after the polls unlike the previous times the party is no longer going to give free support from outside the BSP chief saidRegarding the elections I want to make it clear again that our party will fight the the Lok Sabha polls alone on the strength of the poor and marginalised sections especially Dalits tribals Muslims and people of other religious minority communitiesIt was on their strength that in 2007 we formed a government with full majority in Uttar Pradesh by contesting the elections alone Therefore keeping in mind the past experience our party will contest the Lok Sabha elections alone she saidRejecting reports of her retirement doing the rounds on social media after she recently made her nephew Akash Anand as her political successor Mayawati said they are fake and have no basis I will continue to strengthen the BSP till my last breathAkash Anand was not present at the press conferenceMayawati clarified that the BSP will keep distance from all parties having casteist capitalist and communal viewsIf the Lok Sabha elections are held as free and fair as the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections when there were no irregularities or rigging in EVMs then our party will bring better results by contesting the polls alone she saidGiving reason of not siding with any party or alliance in the upcoming elections Mayawati said Our party is contesting alone because its leadership is in the hands of a Dalit against whom the casteist mentality of most of the parties has not changed yet Many parties want to contest elections in alliance with the BSPbut it is very important for us to look after the interest of our party she saidHowever the BSP chief said that support can be extended after the elections if there is proper participation but this support will not be given for freeShe alleged that all the opposition parties want to keep the BSP away from power by uniting and adopting various tacticsAttacking SP president Yadav Mayawati said The SP chief has changed colours like a chameleon to mislead the people of BSP regarding the opposition INDIA alliance The people of the BSP should be cautious of him also she warnedThe BSP is not part of the opposition INDIA bloc Although there have been reports that some alliance members have tried to persuade Mayawati to join the grouping the SP has indicated that it is not keen on thisEnumerating the achievements of her previous governments Mayawati also targeted the ruling BJP and said The BSP worked for all sections of society during its four terms At present no work is visible and people are being enslaved by giving free rationIn the past few years the Central and state governments are doing politics to cover up their shortcomings under the guise of religion and culture and this has weakened the Constitution and democracy of our country she allegedIn such a situation she appealed to all sections of the Bahujan community ie Dalits tribals extremely backward classes and Muslims to strengthen the BSP which is their wellwisherBSP workers are also concerned about the reports of tampering with EVMs However in such a situation this system voting through EVMs can end here at any time like in foreign countries We have to continue strengthening the party with all our energy Mayawati addedOn January 15 BSP leaders and workers celebrate the party chiefs birthday as Jan Kalyankari DiwasThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever