Mayawati rejects Akhilesh Yadav’s call for Ambedkarite-Lohiaite alliance
Mayawati took the stance after SP national president Akhilesh Yadav, while addressing the party’s convention, called upon the followers of Ram Manohar Lohia and Bhim Rao Ambedkar to come together to fight the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday hit out at the Samajwadi Party (SP), terming it as anti-Ambedkar and anti-Bahujan.
Her attack came after SP national president Akhilesh Yadav, while addressing the party’s convention, called upon the followers of Ram Manohar Lohia and Bhim Rao Ambedkar to come together to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
In a series of tweets on Thursday, Mayawati said the attempt by the Samajwadi Party to show its moves, character and face as “Ambedkarite” were the same pretense, drama and deceit as other parties also often resort to for votes.
The entire history of the SP has been anti-Ambedkar and anti-Bahujan, she said.
During the SP regime, the followers of Babasaheb. Ambedkar were grossly neglected, Mayawati alleged, adding that atrocities were committed on them. The names of new districts, universities, grand parks established by the BSP government in the memory of great men were also changed due to casteist hatred, she said.
Akhilesh Yadav had said at the ongoing SP convention in Lucknow that the Lohiaite and Ambedkarite alliance had paved the way for BJP’s defeat on a number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Akhilesh Yadav did not attack the BSP in his speech, triggering speculation that the SP and BSP may join hands in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Akhilesh Yadav said the SP had made sacrifices to form the alliance with the BSP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the SP-BSP alliance had won 15 seats. After the Lok Sabha election, Mayawati withdrew from the alliance. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election, the Samajwadi Party bagged 111 seats, securing 37% votes while the BSP managed to win one seat, polling 12% votes.
A political observer SK Srivastava said even after the defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the SP-BSP alliance has the strength to challenge the might of the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
