It’s more of joining hands than hearts: Mayawati on Oppn Patna meet

With 80 Lok Sabha seats, U.P. is said to be the key to electoral success but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here, BSP chief said in a series of tweets

Taking a swipe at the proposed Opposition unity meeting to be held in Patna on Friday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday dubbed it “more of joining hands than hearts”. The BSP has not been invited to the Patna meeting organised by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Friday (June 23). Before the meeting, these parties should have instilled confidence among the people by clarifying their intention, she said.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati. (HT file)

“The issues that the opposition parties are raising together before the Lok Sabha elections and in such a situation the Patna meeting of the opposition leaders organised by Nitish Kumar on June 23 gives more meaning to the saying ‘Dil Mile Na Mile, Haath Milate Rahiye’,” Mayawati said quoting poet Nida Fazli in a series of tweets.

“With 80 Lok Sabha seats, U.P. is said to be the key to electoral success but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here. Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change?,” she tweeted.

Addressing party leaders and office bearers in a meeting held on Wednesday, Mayawati hinted at joining the opposition alliance by launching a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mayawati insisted that before the alliance the opposition parties should clear their objectives and set their priorities to bring about a political change.

Keeping in mind the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it would have been better had these parties tried to instil general confidence among the people before making an attempt for alliance. How long will ‘Muh me Ram bagal me chhuri’ (speaking in praise on face and stabbing in the back) last?, she said.

“In a country suffering from inflation, poverty, unemployment, backwardness, illiteracy, ethnic hatred, religious frenzy/violence etc, it is clear from the pitiable condition of Bahujans that the Congress and the BJP do not have the ability to implement the humanistic egalitarian constitution of param pujya Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar,” she said.

Reacting to Mayawati’s statement, Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi said, “The JD (U) has not invited BSP to the opposition parties’ meeting. The attack on opposition parties by the BSP chief will not make any impact on the alliance.”

Moreover, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “Mayawati is indulging in Muslim appeasement by targeting the BJP. India has become centre of development politics under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP will fight and win the 2024 Lok Sabha election on the issue of welfare of the poor, good governance and corruption free development of the country and Uttar Pradesh.”

UP Congress president Brijlal Khabri said, “If the BSP takes initiative of alliance, the Congress may consider it proposal. The opposition unity in the upcoming Lok Sabha election will check BJP from grabbing power.”