Lucknow: Puncturing the hopes of any consolidation of secular forces to counter the BJP onslaught in the hindi heartland , BSP supreme Mayawati today flatly rebuffed a proposal to join hands with Mulayam Singh Yadav.
SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Wednesday responded to RJD chief Lalu Yadav's proposal that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party should also join hands to take on a resurgent BJP in the state.
Mulayam sardonically said that if Lalu gets her to him, he would form an alliance.
"Lalu unka (Mayawati) haath pakad le aayen toh hum haat mila lenge (If Lalu brings Mayawati, I will join hands with her)."
Mayawati on the other hand slammed the proposition terming it preposterous.
She said, “There is no question about BSP forming an alliance with SP. I condemn it”.
The RJD chief had made that proposal Monday during his historic handshake with arch enemy Nitish Kumar after two decades, an alliance that opens a new chapter in Bihar politics.
JD-U chief Sharad Yadav also echoed similar sentiments when he said on Wednesday, "What we did in Bihar, we'll try to do across the country by bringing the RJD, SP, BSP and others together."
BSP was cold and guarded in its response to Mulayam's statement. "People of UP will never forgive SP for their misrule. They should apologize for this. BSP chief will decide on party's future," Sudhindra Bhadoria of the party said. Mayawati has not yet reacted to Mulayam's statement.
The BJP was quick to take a jibe at Mulayam's readiness to consider an alliance with the BSP. "Chor chor, mausere bhai," said the party's Laxmikant Bajpai.
Mulayam's Samajwadi Party was reduced to five Lok Sabha seats - all won by family members - in the last Lok Sabha polls while the BSP, in its worst drubbing ever, drew a blank. Exceeding its own expectations, the BJP won 71 Lok Sabha seats out of 80 in the state.
Bypolls for 12 Assembly seats in the state are due shortly.
