Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday held a meeting with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in Delhi to discuss the upcoming Lok Sabha election 2024.
"Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhvir Singh Badal and the top leadership of Bahujan Samaj Party held a meeting in Delhi today to discuss the strategy in a congenial atmosphere regarding the strengthening of the old alliance and better coordination in the next Lok Sabha general elections in Punjab. Beneficial conversation," Maywati tweeted.
AAP-SAD alliance contested the Punjab Assemlby election 2022 but failed to make a mark as they won only 4 out of 117 seats.
"The alliance of SAD and BSP is trustworthy and people are looking up to it. With its good result in the Lok Sabha election, better changes are possible in the country's politics. First, the people were saddened by the activities of the Congress and now by the AAP government. People also dislike the negative politics of jugaad by BJP," her tweet stated.
Earlier, Mayawati on January 15, ruled out an alliance with any party for the assembly polls in various states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Key states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana would go to polls this year, besides some northeastern states.
Speaking to reporters here on her 67th birthday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "I would like to make it clear that in the assembly elections of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and in the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held next year, the BSP will not forge a coalition with any party and will contest the polls on its own strength."
Mayawati said it became necessary for her to make the announcement as the Congress and some other parties, as part of a "conspiracy", are allegedly trying to create an impression that they will be forging an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party.
"In electoral alliances forged once or twice in Uttar Pradesh and other states, barring Punjab, their (allies) votes were not transferred to us, due to which the BSP suffered losses," she said.
"Hence, our party has decided to contest the assembly polls and Lok Sabha polls on its own," she said.
The BSP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) had forged an alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Of the alliance partners, the BSP was the biggest gainer with 10 seats. Akhilesh Yadav's SP won five seats and the smallest of the partners, Rashtriya Lok Dal, couldn't open its account.
(With PTI input)
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