Samajwadi Party’s decision to align with BSP is ‘big mistake’, says Rajnath Singh

Seeking to drive a wedge between political parties which are part of 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) in Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the Samajwadi Party will have to pay a heavy price for aligning with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

Addressing an election meeting at Dataganj, Singh said, “Samajwadi Party does not know what big mistake it has committed by forging an alliance with the BSP. It will have to bear the consequences."  

Singh, who is seeking re-election from Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, also said that both parties joining hands is something that could have never been imagined.

“They knew 'Modi ki aandhi mein hum (SP and BSP) akele tinke ki tarah beh jaenge', so they came together,” the union minister said.

Earlier this year, SP president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati announced that they will fight from 38 and 37 seats, respectively. The Ajit Singh-led RLD, which is also part of the grand alliance, will be contesting from Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, and Mathura. The alliance has left Amethi and Rae Bareli – a stronghold of Gandhi family - for the Congress party.

The Union home minister also said that barely 13 days after the Pulwama terror attack, 'revenge' was taken. "Congress and other opposition parties started demanding proof as to how many terrorists were killed, how many camps were destroyed... had it been one or two, we could have counted them.

Uttar Pradesh will vote in all seven phases on April 11, 18, 23, 29, May 6, 12 and 19.