BSP, SP to contest on 38 seats, Amethi and Rae Bareli for Congress: Mayawati

Lucknow, Jan 12: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati said BSP will fight on 38 seats and Samajwadi Party (SP) on 38, while two seats have been reserved. Amethi and Rae Bareli are for Congress.

In a joint press conference which is underway in Lucknow, Mayawati said, "BSP-SP have decided to contest upcoming Lok Sabha elections together and this will lead to a new political revolution in the country."

Mayawati begins the press conference, saying: "In 1993, the then BSP chief Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav contested together and won the UP polls. The BSP is determined to follow in the footsteps of Dr BR Ambedkar and give the same results this time."

"Be it BJP or Congress, whoever rules, their policies are mostly the same. For example, we are seeing how both indulged in corruption in defence deals. Congress imposed declared an emergency, today there is an undeclared emergency, " said Mayawati.

Mayawati said she has buried the 'state guest house episode' occurred during BSP's alliance with SP in 1993.

"We had pursued on the mission of late Kanshi Ram. In 1993, we had got in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Though, it could not last long because of some reasons, including the state guest house episode. But we have buried the past and decided to come together," says Mayawati.

Akhilesh Yadav addressed media:

Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav said, "The alliance was on my mind since the day BJP leaders made obscene comments on Mayawati ji. But instead of punishing them, BJP gave big ministries to those leaders. From today onwards, all the SP workers should know that disrespect of Mayawati ji, will be my disrespect."

"Even accident victims are asked their caste first. It's total chaos in the country.SP and BSP have come together to get people rid of misrule of BJP," he says, adding that innocent people are being killed in encounters. Interestingly, the former UP CM is reading from a statement, which is quite unusual as he is mostly seen addressing without referring to papers or is often impromptu.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati held the joint- press conference for the first after both the parties gave contours of an electoral alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.