'BSP to go alone in Punjab,UP, Uttaranchal polls'

Jalandhar, July 1: Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) President Mayawati today said her party would contest the assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal on its own.

''My party will not have external, internal or friendly alliance with any other party and will go to the polls all alone,'' she told a press conference here.

She said that political parties in most of the states are interested in forging an alliance with the BSP but she did not find it beneficial for her party and therefore had decided against a tie-up.

She said the decision was ''final and unalterable'' but some parties could creat confusion among the people and the media in this regard and therefore, the media should also take all possible precautions before filing such news stories.

Ms Mayawati expressed satisfaction over her party's, work in Punjab and said the BSP was all set to contest all 117 assembly seats in the next elections. ''We are confident of putting up a good performance,'' she added.

She arrived here today to preside over a party convention of office bearers of its Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh state units to be held tomorrow.

Three issues, Punjab assembly elections, reservation for OBCs in higher education institutions and prevailing political situation at the Centre, would be discussed at the convention, she said.

UNI