SP has conceded defeat before UP elections, says Mayawati

BSP chief Mayawati today said the ruling SP in Uttar Pradesh has conceded defeat before facing the assembly polls and advised the Muslim community not to "waste its vote" on them, as it would only benefit the BJP.

Addressing a press conference in the state capital, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader said the efforts by the Samajwadi Party (SP) to cobble together an alliance reflect that it has given up hope of winning the elections on its own.

"There is not a single concrete reason for any secular party to align with Samajwadi Party, specially after the bad experience of (SP) breaking the 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar because of its understanding with BJP," Mayawati said at the press conference.

"SP is today standing alone because of its understanding with BJP. So, any move to align with SP means directly helping BJP...other parties should remain alert on this count as it would be good for them.

"All know that because of its selfish motives, Samajwadi Party today stands divided," she said.

"(In these circumstances) supporting SP clearly means strengthening BJP and forming an anti-Dalit, anti-backward and anti-Muslim BJP government in the state," she said.

"SP is trying to form an alliance with mostly those parties who have a very limited influence in UP. Moreover, this effort to form a grand alliance only proved that the ruling Samajwadi Party has accepted its defeat, even before the Assembly elections," she said.

"There is no concrete example on which SP can seek votes and come back to power in the state...At all levels, casteism, communalims, corruption and jungleraj has prevailed...should other secular parties support the sinking SP ship because various incidents like Muzaffarnagar, Dadri among others took place in the state because of their understanding with BJP," she asked.

Stressing that SP is mired in family feud and supporters of the Chief Minister and his uncle will harm each other in the electoral battle, Mayawati cautioned Muslim voters not to waste their votes by backing the ruling party.

"Secular people should also not waste their votes on SP or else they will help BJP," she said, adding that had the SP government worked for the entire society, the Chief Minister would not have been forced to take out his 'vikas rath yatra' with his rowdy supporters.

"Also, the SP chief would not have called leaders of other parties in Lucknow on the occasion of party's silver jubilee to enact the drama of projecting himself a secular leader... and mislead the people," she said.

Attacking BJP, which started the Parivartan yatra from Saharanpur today, Mayawati said people have now started believing that democratic values are being undermined and the country is turning into a kind of unbridled autocracy under the BJP government which could have very dangerous results.

"Had the Modi government fulfilled even one third of its poll promises, the party would not have needed Parivartan yatra or projected RSS workers as its workers to show huge turnouts," she said, adding that not only the state, but the country has also to be saved from such designs in the 2019 polls.
 

(With PTI inputs)