Congress is free to contest all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, BSP-SP alliance alone can defeat BJP, says Mayawati

Lucknow: In a clear message to the Congress party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday said that the BSP-SP alliance can alone defeat the BJP in the forthcoming general elections.

In a series of tweets, Mayawati asserted that the Congress should feel free to contest in all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

On Sunday, the grand old party announced to leave seven Lok Sabha seats for Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh, where 80 seats are at stake.

“Congress is fully free in Uttar Pradesh and should field its own candidate for contesting on all the 80 Lok Sabha seats. Our alliance (SP-BSP) alone is capable of defeating the BJP. Congress should not forcibly spread rumours by leaving seven seats in Uttar Pradesh for the SP-BSP alliance,” tweeted Mayawati.

The former chief minister also clarified that including Uttar Pradesh, the BSP is not in alliance with the Congress in any other state.

“BSP once again wants to make it very clear that in Uttar Pradesh and in the country as a whole we are not in any form of alliance or agreement with Congress. Our people should not pay heed to the rumours spread by the Congress”

It is worth mentioning that SP, BSP, and RLD have forged an alliance to take on the BJP in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the state.

However, SP president Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that the Congress party is with the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. SP-BSP has left Rae Bareli and Amethi seats for the Congress.

As per the seat-sharing agreement, SP is contesting 37 seats and BSP 38. Three seats have been given to the RLD - Mathura, Muzaffarpur, and Baghpat.