Break up with SP temporary, says Mayawati as BSP goes solo in upcoming Uttar Pradesh bypolls

BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday announced that her party will not contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly bypolls in alliance with Samajwadi Party. However, she emphasised that the relations with Akhilesh Yadav’s party might continue in the future and the ‘break’ is temporary. 

"It's not a permanent break. If we feel in future that SP Chief succeeds in his political work, we'll again work together. But if he doesn't succeed, it'll be good for us to work separately. So we've decided to fight the by-elections alone," Mayawati said.

BSP Chief Mayawati on SP-BSP coalition: It's not a permanent break. If we feel in future that SP Chief succeeds in his political work, we'll again work together. But if he doesn't succeed, it'll be good for us to work separately. So we've decided to fight the by-elections alone. pic.twitter.com/VP20N4zL4Y

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 4, 2019

The former chief minister also clarified that her party was not benefitted with the base vote of Samajwadi Party in the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections.

"However, we can't ignore political compulsions. In the results of Lok Sabha elections in UP, base vote of Samajwadi Party, the 'Yadav' community, didn't support the party. Even strong contenders of SP were defeated," she said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that, “If the coalition has broken, I will reflect deeply on it and if the coalition isn't there in the by-elections, then Samajwadi Party will prepare for the elections. SP will also fight on all 11 seats alone.”

A total of 11 assembly bypolls are due in UP after the respective MLAs won the Lok Sabha polls. While nine BJP MLAs emerged victorious in the LS polls, one each from the BSP and the SP were elected to the lower house.

Talking about her relations with the Yadav family, Mayawati said that she treated both Akhilesh and Dimple as family members.

"Akhilesh and his wife have given me immense respect, I too have treated them as family members. Our relationship is not just political, it is deeper. But there are some political compulsions as a result of the recently concluded elections," Mayawati said.

BSP Chief: Ever since SP-BSP coalition took place, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav & his wife Dimple Yadav have given me a lot of respect. I also forgot all our differences in the interest of the nation, & gave them respect. Our relation isn't only for politics, it'll continue forever pic.twitter.com/JJcKjwApSA

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 4, 2019

Significantly, the BSP got 10 seats in this Lok Sabha polls as against 2014 polls when it could not even manage one seat. The Samajwadi Party managed to won 5 seats, however, SP chief’s wife Dimple lost the election by over 12,000 votes in Kannauj. His two cousins Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav also lost from Badaun and Ferozabad constituencies respectively.

At the time of the alliance, Akhilesh Yadav had said the alliance of his party with the BSP would last till UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was sent back to Gorakhpur as mahant of (Gorakhnath) temple.

"No matter how much you try, this alliance is not going to break. The alliance will go a long way. We have not forged this alliance only to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Centre... we will not keep quiet until he and his disciple Yogi are unseated from power," Yadav had said.