President Mayawati? What BSP chief said on rumours about offer from BJP

After the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur concluded, all eyes are now on the Presidential polls. President Ram Nath Kovind's tenure ends on July 24 and the polls must be concluded before that date.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday said she will not accept the offer of President's post from any party, news agency PTI reported. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of spreading false propaganda that she would be ‘made the President’ if the saffron party won the Uttar Pradesh polls. 

"How can I accept such a post when we know that it will be the end of our party. So I want to make it clear to every BSP office bearer that in the interest of our party and movement, I will not accept any offer for the President's post from the BJP or other parties and they should never be misled in future," Mayawati said.

A file photo of Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati(HT/Deepak Gupta)

"In this election, through a well-thought-out strategy and conspiracy, the BJP, through its RSS organisation has spread false propaganda among our people that if a BSP government is not formed in UP, we will make your 'Behenji' the President of the country. That is why you should allow BJP to come to power," she added. 

Read: Nitish Kumar says this as Nawab Malik proposes Opposition candidate for President

President Ram Nath Kovind's tenure ends on July 24 and the elections are to be concluded before that. 

After the Assembly elections to the five states concluded, all focus is now on the upcoming presidential polls. The victory in the four of five states has given much boost to the saffron party to pick a candidate for the election. According to political pundits, the BJP would have had to be dependent on fence sitters like the Biju Janata Dal, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and YSR Congress if the Samajwadi Party-led opposition alliance had won the UP elections. 

The President of India is elected indirectly by an electoral college comprising elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the elected members of legislative assemblies including Delhi and Puducherry.