In Uttar Pradesh, the SP and BSP will hold joint election rallies during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said here on Thursday.&nbsp;

'We have planned joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh,'&nbsp;he told ANI in reply to a question about what transpired in his meeting with BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday.&nbsp;

'The meeting was to discuss the poll strategy for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. We have decided on meeting and rallies of SP and BSP. We have also planned joint rallies,'&nbsp;he said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/alliance-with-bsp-rld-final-seat-sharing-no-problem-akhilesh-yadav-191195">SP-BSP are fighting the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in UP as allies</a>. As per the seat-sharing agreement, SP is contesting 37 seats and BSP 38.&nbsp;

Three seats have been left for the RLD — Mathura, Muzaffarpur, and Bagpat. Two seats — Rae Bareli and Amethi — <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-kept-out-of-up-alliance-to-correct-poll-arithmetic-akhilesh-yadav-191942">have been left for the Congress</a>.&nbsp;

Exuding confidence, Yadav said that his party would now reach out to the people of the state, where Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning April 11 to end on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

Yadav said: “The Lok Sabha election dates have been declared. Every party is announcing its candidates. SP and BSP have also announced some candidates. It is the time to reach out to the people of the state.”&nbsp;

Attacking the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government, Akhilesh said: “The government has not achieved anything which was promised to the people to come to power. Where are laptops he was supposed to give? Where are jobs? And where is the share of farmers?” &nbsp;

Yadav, however, avoided questions on Congress general secretary and in-charge for the party`s east UP affairs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meeting with Bhim army chief Chandrashekar Azad in a hospital in Meerut on Wednesday. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, NDA had won 73 seats from the state. SP had got just five seats, while BSP drew a blank.&nbsp;

In Uttar Pradesh, the SP and BSP will hold joint election rallies during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said here on Thursday.

In Uttar Pradesh, the SP and BSP will hold joint election rallies during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said here on Thursday. 'We have planned joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh,' he told ANI in reply to a question about what transpired in his meeting with BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday. 'The meeting was to discuss the poll strategy for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. We have decided on meeting and rallies of SP and BSP. We have also planned joint rallies,' he said. SP-BSP are fighting the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in UP as allies. As per the seat-sharing agreement, SP is contesting 37 seats and BSP 38. Three seats have been left for the RLD — Mathura, Muzaffarpur, and Bagpat. Two seats — Rae Bareli and Amethi — have been left for the Congress. Exuding confidence, Yadav said that his party would now reach out to the people of the state, where Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning April 11 to end on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. Yadav said: “The Lok Sabha election dates have been declared. Every party is announcing its candidates. SP and BSP have also announced some candidates. It is the time to reach out to the people of the state.” Attacking the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government, Akhilesh said: “The government has not achieved anything which was promised to the people to come to power. Where are laptops he was supposed to give? Where are jobs? And where is the share of farmers?” Yadav, however, avoided questions on Congress general secretary and in-charge for the party`s east UP affairs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meeting with Bhim army chief Chandrashekar Azad in a hospital in Meerut on Wednesday. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, NDA had won 73 seats from the state. SP had got just five seats, while BSP drew a blank.

Lok Sabha polls: SP & BSP will hold joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh, says Akhilesh

No alliance with Congress anywhere for 2019 Lok Sabha polls: Mayawati

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/country-built-on-love-harmony-brotherhood-priyanka-gandhi-at-her-first-rally-202902">Country</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/country-built-on-love-harmony-brotherhood-priyanka-gandhi-at-her-first-rally-202902"> built on love, harmony &amp; brotherhood: Priyanka Gandhi at her first rally&nbsp;</a>

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was recently made Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, addressed her first rally today in Gujarat's Gandhinagar where she said "this country is made on the foundations of love, harmony and brotherhood." She added that "today, whatever is happening in the country is very sad."&nbsp;

The rally is being seen as the Congress kicking off its campaign for the general elections which will be held from April 11 to May 19. The results will be declared on May 23.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-i-reiterate-bsp-will-not-have-any-alliance-with-congress-says-mayawati-202862">Lok Sabha polls: No 'grand alliance' in Uttar Pradesh as Mayawati rules out </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-i-reiterate-bsp-will-not-have-any-alliance-with-congress-says-mayawati-202862">tie-up</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-i-reiterate-bsp-will-not-have-any-alliance-with-congress-says-mayawati-202862"> with Congress in any state</a>

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday reiterated that her party will "not have any alliance with Congress party in any state". Her remarks came just a couple of days after the Election Commission of India announced dates for the Lok Sabha polls next month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
"It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections," Mayawati said.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-should-not-be-impeached-unless-reasons-are-overwhelming-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-202904">Trump should not be impeached unless reasons are 'overwhelming': Nancy Pelosi</a>

US President Donald Trump should not be impeached unless the reasons are overwhelming and bipartisan, given how divisive it would be for the country, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Washington Post interview published on Monday.

"I’m not for impeachment," Pelosi, the top US Democrat, said in the interview, which was conducted last week.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/consumer-inflation-rises-to-257-in-february-government-data-202903">Retail inflation up to 2.57% in February: Government data</a>

Consumer inflation in the month of February rose to 2.57 per cent, government data revealed on Tuesday. Consumer inflation was revised to 1.97 per cent in January this year from 2.05 per cent.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/the-new-york-times-faces-backlash-for-missplelling-pm-modis-name-calling-pulwama-terror-attack-an-explosion-202885">New York Times faces backlash for calling Pulwama terror attack an 'explosion', misspelling PM Modi's name</a>

The New York Times, a leading American daily, raked controversy on Monday after it referred to Pulwama terror attack as an "explosion". Twitterati didn't spare a second to troll the US media giant with some even asking if the 9/11 terror attack was an airplane crash if Pulwama bombing was an "explosion".&nbsp;

The "explosion" bit wasn't the only folly exhibited in the NYT tweet. Its post on a story on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls had the Prime Minister's name spelt wrongly as "Narandra Modi".&nbsp;

Country built on love, harmony & brotherhood: Priyanka Gandhi at her first rally Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was recently made Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, addressed her first rally today in Gujarat's Gandhinagar where she said "this country is made on the foundations of love, harmony and brotherhood.

Country built on love, harmony & brotherhood: Priyanka Gandhi at her first rally Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was recently made Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, addressed her first rally today in Gujarat's Gandhinagar where she said "this country is made on the foundations of love, harmony and brotherhood." She added that "today, whatever is happening in the country is very sad." The rally is being seen as the Congress kicking off its campaign for the general elections which will be held from April 11 to May 19. The results will be declared on May 23. Lok Sabha polls: No 'grand alliance' in Uttar Pradesh as Mayawati rules out tie-up with Congress in any state Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday reiterated that her party will "not have any alliance with Congress party in any state". Her remarks came just a couple of days after the Election Commission of India announced dates for the Lok Sabha polls next month. "It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections," Mayawati said. Trump should not be impeached unless reasons are 'overwhelming': Nancy Pelosi US President Donald Trump should not be impeached unless the reasons are overwhelming and bipartisan, given how divisive it would be for the country, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Washington Post interview published on Monday. "I’m not for impeachment," Pelosi, the top US Democrat, said in the interview, which was conducted last week. Retail inflation up to 2.57% in February: Government data Consumer inflation in the month of February rose to 2.57 per cent, government data revealed on Tuesday. Consumer inflation was revised to 1.97 per cent in January this year from 2.05 per cent. New York Times faces backlash for calling Pulwama terror attack an 'explosion', misspelling PM Modi's name The New York Times, a leading American daily, raked controversy on Monday after it referred to Pulwama terror attack as an "explosion". Twitterati didn't spare a second to troll the US media giant with some even asking if the 9/11 terror attack was an airplane crash if Pulwama bombing was an "explosion". The "explosion" bit wasn't the only folly exhibited in the NYT tweet. Its post on a story on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls had the Prime Minister's name spelt wrongly as "Narandra Modi".

News brief: Big stories of the day

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday reiterated that her party will "not have any alliance with Congress party in any state". Her remarks came just a couple of days after the Election Commission of India announced dates for the Lok Sabha polls next month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
"It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections," Mayawati said.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
BSP Chief Mayawati: It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections. (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/JgPzgrED1c">pic.twitter.com/JgPzgrED1c</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1105394979583811584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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It also means that Mayawati will tie-up with smaller parties in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh.&nbsp;

Congress wanted 15 seats from Uttar Pradesh and was open to the idea of giving seats to the BSP in north Indian states and in Maharashtra.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sp-bsp-give-rld-three-lok-sabha-seats-in-up-akhilesh-says-congress-part-of-mahagatbandhan-201321">Congress was very much part of the '</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sp-bsp-give-rld-three-lok-sabha-seats-in-up-akhilesh-says-congress-part-of-mahagatbandhan-201321">mahagatbandhan</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sp-bsp-give-rld-three-lok-sabha-seats-in-up-akhilesh-says-congress-part-of-mahagatbandhan-201321">'</a>.

"We have left two seats (Amethi and Rae Bareli) for the party," he added.

Yadav also stated that the Rashtriya Lok Dal will contest three Lok Sabha seats as part of an alliance with the SP and the BSP, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday reiterated that her party will "not have any alliance with Congress party in any state". Her remarks came just a couple of days after the Election Commission of India announced dates for the Lok Sabha polls next month.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday reiterated that her party will "not have any alliance with Congress party in any state". Her remarks came just a couple of days after the Election Commission of India announced dates for the Lok Sabha polls next month. "It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections," Mayawati said. BSP Chief Mayawati: It has been reiterated once again that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not have any alliance with Congress party in any state, to contest the upcoming elections. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/JgPzgrED1c — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2019 × It also means that Mayawati will tie-up with smaller parties in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. Congress wanted 15 seats from Uttar Pradesh and was open to the idea of giving seats to the BSP in north Indian states and in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that the Congress was very much part of the 'mahagatbandhan'. "We have left two seats (Amethi and Rae Bareli) for the party," he added. Yadav also stated that the Rashtriya Lok Dal will contest three Lok Sabha seats as part of an alliance with the SP and the BSP, news agency PTI reported. (With inputs from agencies)

Lok Sabha polls: No 'grand alliance' in Uttar Pradesh as Mayawati rules out tie-up with Congress in any state

Mayawati and Akhilesh have sealed the deal for the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) which sends the highest number of Members to Parliament. BJP swept the state in 2014 riding on Modi wave and its development agenda trumping caste politics. Opinion polls predict heavy losses for BJP in the state. In this article, we look at eleven key factors which will determine the results of UP in 2019.

Transfer of votes without leakages: The success of any alliance depends upon the ability of partners to transfer their votes to each other with limited leakages. While in Bihar in 2015, a similar Mahagathbandhan (MGB) of Lalu, Nitish and Congress succeeded in doing so, in UP, alliance of SP-Congress failed to shift votes to each other in 2017. An informal alliance of SP and BSP for three bypolls succeeded vote transfer in bypolls last year.&nbsp;

Management of rebels: SP and BSP contested separately in 2014 and on an aggregate fielded 158 candidates. Almost half of these candidates (82 out of 158) will be denied tickets this time due to an alliance. Both parties will have to put in a lot of efforts to quell rebellion and reduce the impact to minimum levels. Uncle Shivpal’s party and even Congress could accommodate such rebels.

Ram Mandir &amp; reverse polarisation: The Mandir issue is hot currently with RSS and other Hindu organisations. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has many times reiterated that bhavya Ram mandir will be built in Ayodhya. In such an environment, any attempts to consolidate the minority vote by MGB in their favour could be counter-productive and unify the Hindu votes towards BJP.

Voting preference of non-Jatavs: The prime reason for decline in BSP’s influence in UP has been that it is losing support of its core vote bank of Dalits. They account for 21 per cent of the population; Jatavs (Mayawati’s caste is 12-14 per cent) and non-Jatavs (7-9 per cent). The support of non-Jatavs which was 64 per cent for party in 2009 declined to 30 per cent in 2014. BJP emerged as the choice for 45 per cent of non-Jatavs in 2014 as they were unhappy with Jatavisation/ Brahmanisation of BSP.&nbsp;

Voting preference of non-Yadav OBCs: OBCs account for 40 per cent of the state’s population. Yadavs (10 per cent) have been backing the SP while non-Yadavs (29 per cent), including Kurmis, Lodhis, Patels mostly supported the BJP till the time Kalyan Singh was there in the party. After his exit in 1999, the party lost the NYOBC votes to SP-BSP. From 43 per cent in 2002, support of Kurmis/ Koeris for BJP declined to 20 per cent in 2009. The fact that Modi belongs to the OBC community, strategic alliance entered with Apna Dal and disenchantment of non-Yadavs with SP due to their neglect led to massive consolidation in favour of BJP (60 per cent) in 2014.

How many sitting MPs are denied tickets? Modi and Shah follow a unique model to curb anti-incumbency. Today there is BJP government at the Centre, in the state and in many local bodies. So, the party has to face what I call triple anti-incumbency. To negate the impact of this, the party usually denies tickets to 30-40 per cent of its existing MPs/ MLAs. In the three state elections held recently, the number was between 25-30 per cent. In MCD elections, all corporators of BJP were denied tickets.

How seriously Congress fights in UP &amp; Priyanka factor: After being snubbed, the Congress has declared it will contest all 80 seats and has made Priyanka in-charge of East UP. She is expected to contest from Rae Bareli. This has enthused the party cadre. The Congress bagged 7.5 per cent vote share in 2014 in peak Modi wave, winning two and finishing second in seats. It also has influence in urban areas and enjoys support from section of upper castes, Muslims and Dalits in the state. If SP, BSP, Congress and RLD had contested together they would have won 57 seats in 2014 instead of 41 if only SP and BSP contested together.&nbsp;

Impact of smaller parties: Smaller parties have traditionally recorded 10-15 per cent vote share in UP. They are community-specific parties like RLD (Jats), Apna Dal (Patel’s), SBSP (Rajbhar), Nishad Party (Mallah) etc. BJP entered into strategic alliances with Apna Dal and SBSP in central and state polls to get the community votes and make inroads. Both allies are unhappy with BJP and posturing for more tickets this time around. Nishad Party is likely to get two seats from MGB quota.&nbsp;

Voting pattern of first-time voters: First-time voters play a crucial role in every election. These young voters mostly do not carry any baggage of ideology and vote on issues/ development. A media survey in 2014 said that almost half of 15 crore first-time voters in the 2014 general election, wanted to see Modi as PM. BJP made good inroads into young Yadav and Dalit voters in UP. As per reports, there are 12.7 crore first-time voters in 2019 out of which 2.2 crores are in UP.

Ability of MGB to manage contradictions in its vote blocks: It will be difficult for a section of SP and BSP cadre to accept each other as allies forgetting their bitter past. Many Dalits have borne the brunt of violence/torture by powerful OBCs.

How does development vs caste politics pan out? In 2014, BJP was able to convert the caste-ridden politics of the state into a narrative of nation-building and got support from all caste/class groups. As AK Verma opines in NES 2014, “This victory signalled a paradigm shift in voter behaviour, with a preference for good governance and development pushing out the identity politics of caste and community.” Whether MGB takes it back to caste politics, remains to be seen!

To sum up, in 2019, voters of UP will evaluate the performance of the Modi government. MGB will try to convert this battle into an ‘agadey vs pichadey’ fight. An interesting battle on the cards with many layers.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-uttar-pradesh-a-cakewalk-for-none-2718126">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Mayawati and Akhilesh have sealed the deal for the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) which sends the highest number of Members to Parliament. BJP swept the state in 2014 riding on Modi wave and its development agenda trumping caste politics.

Mayawati and Akhilesh have sealed the deal for the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) which sends the highest number of Members to Parliament. BJP swept the state in 2014 riding on Modi wave and its development agenda trumping caste politics. Opinion polls predict heavy losses for BJP in the state. In this article, we look at eleven key factors which will determine the results of UP in 2019. Transfer of votes without leakages: The success of any alliance depends upon the ability of partners to transfer their votes to each other with limited leakages. While in Bihar in 2015, a similar Mahagathbandhan (MGB) of Lalu, Nitish and Congress succeeded in doing so, in UP, alliance of SP-Congress failed to shift votes to each other in 2017. An informal alliance of SP and BSP for three bypolls succeeded vote transfer in bypolls last year. Management of rebels: SP and BSP contested separately in 2014 and on an aggregate fielded 158 candidates. Almost half of these candidates (82 out of 158) will be denied tickets this time due to an alliance. Both parties will have to put in a lot of efforts to quell rebellion and reduce the impact to minimum levels. Uncle Shivpal’s party and even Congress could accommodate such rebels. Ram Mandir & reverse polarisation: The Mandir issue is hot currently with RSS and other Hindu organisations. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has many times reiterated that bhavya Ram mandir will be built in Ayodhya. In such an environment, any attempts to consolidate the minority vote by MGB in their favour could be counter-productive and unify the Hindu votes towards BJP. Voting preference of non-Jatavs: The prime reason for decline in BSP’s influence in UP has been that it is losing support of its core vote bank of Dalits. They account for 21 per cent of the population; Jatavs (Mayawati’s caste is 12-14 per cent) and non-Jatavs (7-9 per cent). The support of non-Jatavs which was 64 per cent for party in 2009 declined to 30 per cent in 2014. BJP emerged as the choice for 45 per cent of non-Jatavs in 2014 as they were unhappy with Jatavisation/ Brahmanisation of BSP. Voting preference of non-Yadav OBCs: OBCs account for 40 per cent of the state’s population. Yadavs (10 per cent) have been backing the SP while non-Yadavs (29 per cent), including Kurmis, Lodhis, Patels mostly supported the BJP till the time Kalyan Singh was there in the party. After his exit in 1999, the party lost the NYOBC votes to SP-BSP. From 43 per cent in 2002, support of Kurmis/ Koeris for BJP declined to 20 per cent in 2009. The fact that Modi belongs to the OBC community, strategic alliance entered with Apna Dal and disenchantment of non-Yadavs with SP due to their neglect led to massive consolidation in favour of BJP (60 per cent) in 2014. How many sitting MPs are denied tickets? Modi and Shah follow a unique model to curb anti-incumbency. Today there is BJP government at the Centre, in the state and in many local bodies. So, the party has to face what I call triple anti-incumbency. To negate the impact of this, the party usually denies tickets to 30-40 per cent of its existing MPs/ MLAs. In the three state elections held recently, the number was between 25-30 per cent. In MCD elections, all corporators of BJP were denied tickets. How seriously Congress fights in UP & Priyanka factor: After being snubbed, the Congress has declared it will contest all 80 seats and has made Priyanka in-charge of East UP. She is expected to contest from Rae Bareli. This has enthused the party cadre. The Congress bagged 7.5 per cent vote share in 2014 in peak Modi wave, winning two and finishing second in seats. It also has influence in urban areas and enjoys support from section of upper castes, Muslims and Dalits in the state. If SP, BSP, Congress and RLD had contested together they would have won 57 seats in 2014 instead of 41 if only SP and BSP contested together. Impact of smaller parties: Smaller parties have traditionally recorded 10-15 per cent vote share in UP. They are community-specific parties like RLD (Jats), Apna Dal (Patel’s), SBSP (Rajbhar), Nishad Party (Mallah) etc. BJP entered into strategic alliances with Apna Dal and SBSP in central and state polls to get the community votes and make inroads. Both allies are unhappy with BJP and posturing for more tickets this time around. Nishad Party is likely to get two seats from MGB quota. Voting pattern of first-time voters: First-time voters play a crucial role in every election. These young voters mostly do not carry any baggage of ideology and vote on issues/ development. A media survey in 2014 said that almost half of 15 crore first-time voters in the 2014 general election, wanted to see Modi as PM. BJP made good inroads into young Yadav and Dalit voters in UP. As per reports, there are 12.7 crore first-time voters in 2019 out of which 2.2 crores are in UP. Ability of MGB to manage contradictions in its vote blocks: It will be difficult for a section of SP and BSP cadre to accept each other as allies forgetting their bitter past. Many Dalits have borne the brunt of violence/torture by powerful OBCs. How does development vs caste politics pan out? In 2014, BJP was able to convert the caste-ridden politics of the state into a narrative of nation-building and got support from all caste/class groups. As AK Verma opines in NES 2014, “This victory signalled a paradigm shift in voter behaviour, with a preference for good governance and development pushing out the identity politics of caste and community.” Whether MGB takes it back to caste politics, remains to be seen! To sum up, in 2019, voters of UP will evaluate the performance of the Modi government. MGB will try to convert this battle into an ‘agadey vs pichadey’ fight. An interesting battle on the cards with many layers. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Uttar Pradesh: A cakewalk for none

The Supreme Court Friday said it was of the tentative view that BSP chief Mayawati has to deposit public money used for erecting statues of herself and elephants, the party's symbol, at parks in Lucknow and Noida to the state exchequer.

The remarks were made by a bench hearing a petition filed by an advocate who had contended that public money cannot be utilised for creating own statues and for propagating the political party.

"We are of the tentative view that Mayawati has to deposit the public money spent on her statues and party symbol to the state exchequer," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said.

The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjeev Khanna, posted the matter for final hearing on April 2.

The bench made it clear the tentative view was expressed by it as the matter would take some time for hearing.

"We will have it for final disposal on April 2," the bench said.&nbsp;

The petition on the issue was filed by advocate Ravi Kant in 2009 and on Friday the matter came after quite a long time.

Earlier, the apex court had passed various interim orders and directions in which the issue of environmental concern was also raised.

Further, there was also a direction to the Election Commission that during the election the elephants built in the park have to be covered.

The petitioner has alleged that crores of rupees was used from the state budget for 2008-09 to glorify Mayawati who was then the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court Friday said it was of the tentative view that BSP chief Mayawati has to deposit public money used for erecting statues of herself and elephants, the party's symbol, at parks in Lucknow and Noida to the state exchequer.

The Supreme Court Friday said it was of the tentative view that BSP chief Mayawati has to deposit public money used for erecting statues of herself and elephants, the party's symbol, at parks in Lucknow and Noida to the state exchequer. The remarks were made by a bench hearing a petition filed by an advocate who had contended that public money cannot be utilised for creating own statues and for propagating the political party. "We are of the tentative view that Mayawati has to deposit the public money spent on her statues and party symbol to the state exchequer," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said. The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjeev Khanna, posted the matter for final hearing on April 2. The bench made it clear the tentative view was expressed by it as the matter would take some time for hearing. "We will have it for final disposal on April 2," the bench said. The petition on the issue was filed by advocate Ravi Kant in 2009 and on Friday the matter came after quite a long time. Earlier, the apex court had passed various interim orders and directions in which the issue of environmental concern was also raised. Further, there was also a direction to the Election Commission that during the election the elephants built in the park have to be covered. The petitioner has alleged that crores of rupees was used from the state budget for 2008-09 to glorify Mayawati who was then the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Supreme Court tells Mayawati to deposit money used for erecting her statues

Three powerful women politicians, each from a very different section of Indian society, may pose a big threat to the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning a second term in a general election due by May.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, part of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for much of the time since its independence from the British in 1947, joined the struggle in January, when the opposition Congress party made her its face in the nation's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh.

Two other senior female politicians - the firebrand chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, and Mayawati, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister - are also plotting to unseat Modi's ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition by forming big opposition groupings, though there is no firm agreement between them as yet.

"The opposition has more powerful women leaders than the NDA, and therefore they will be able to carry conviction with voters generally, and with women voters, in particular," said Yashwant Sinha, 81, a former finance minister who quit Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dominates the NDA, last year.

"They should be very worried, especially after the defeat in the three major Hindi heartland states," he said, referring to BJP's losses in recent state elections.

The entry of Priyanka - she is usually referred to by just her first name - into the political fray drew a gushing reaction from much of the Indian media.

There were pictures of elated supporters dancing, a lot of talk of the 47-year-old's resemblance to her grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and comments about her gifts as a speaker able to connect with voters. That contrasts with her brother, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who in the past has been criticized for lacking the common touch.

Triple challenge

The other two women seen threatening Modi's grip on power have a lot more experience than Priyanka, and both could be seen as potential prime ministerial candidates in a coalition government.

Mayawati, a 63-year-old former teacher who goes by just the one name, last month formed an alliance between her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – which mainly represents&nbsp;the Dalits - and its once bitter foes, the Samajwadi Party that tends to draw support from other lower castes and Muslims.

Then there is 64-year-old Banerjee, who has twice been railways minister in federal governments. Last month, Banerjee – who built her All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party after leaving Congress in 1997 - organised an anti-BJP rally in Kolkata that attracted hundreds of thousands.

Party colleagues of the three women leaders said they were not available for comment.

To be sure, Modi remains, for now, the most popular leader in the country, opinion polls show.

Modi also cannot be accused of ignoring women's issues during his first term. He has launched a government campaign - Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, or "Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter" - and called for the eradication of female foeticide. His campaigns to provide toilets and subsidised gas cylinders for poorer Indians are often promoted as ways to empower women.

He has six women in his 26-strong cabinet, though a lot of power is centralised with Modi and a couple of senior male lieutenants.

The BJP said it would seek votes on the basis of achievements under Modi and the opposition did not have a "positive alternative to the government and its activities".

Personal Ties

Congress has said it wants to form a post-poll partnership with Mayawati's BSP and SP alliance, though it will be fighting against it in 78 seats. The alliance will not contest two Gandhi strongholds won multiple times by Rahul and his mother Sonia.

Mayawati told a press conference announcing the alliance with the SP that Congress was not part of it because they did not think "there would be much benefit in having them with us before the election".

The BSP, however, backs Congress-led governments in the northern states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

There is no formal alliance between Banerjee and Congress, though she does know Rahul and Priyanka.

Dinesh Trivedi, a former federal minister and a close aide to Banerjee, said she enjoys a good personal relationship with Sonia Gandhi, the matriarch of the dynasty and a former Congress president, and so working with her two children would not be a problem.

"In terms of experience, Mamata Banerjee is far ahead," Trivedi said. "I wouldn't be surprised if Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi would look at Mamata Banerjee as somebody who could really inspire them."

The strength of Priyanka, Mayawati and Banerjee as a potential opposition alliance is that they can appeal to different parts of the electorate.

Two Congress sources said the formal entry into politics of Priyanka could help rejuvenate the party in Uttar Pradesh, where it is a marginal player.

Coming from what is India's first family, they said she could appeal to upper caste voters in the state who typically vote for the pro-business BJP.

A Congress leader close to the Gandhis said she would attract women, young people, and floating voters.

Priyanka is far from a political neophyte, having supported her brother and mother during previous election campaigns. She has also experienced political and personal tragedy, as Rahul Gandhi stressed in a speech last week.

"You have to understand my relationship with my sister – we have been through a hell of a lot together," he said.

"Everybody is like 'look, you come from this illustrious family, and everything is easy'. Actually, it's not so easy. My father was assassinated, my grandmother was assassinated, huge political battles, wins in political battles, losses in political battles."

'National leader'

BSP spokesman Sudhindra Bhadoria said Mayawati's gender did not matter.

"She has managed a party from scratch to this level. The important fact is that she has organised large numbers, both men and women, Dalits, other backward castes, the poor, minorities," Bhadoria said. "I don't fit them in the straightjacket of male-female. I think she's a national leader."

She is regarded as ambitious. A US&nbsp;diplomatic cable in 2008, among many thousands leaked by Wikileaks two years later, described her as "first-rate egomaniac" who "is obsessed with becoming prime minister".

But Mayawati has also been credited with empowering oppressed lower caste Hindus.

Banerjee, who defeated a 34-year-old communist government in West Bengal in an election in 2011, is known for her streetwise political skills and portrays herself as a secular leader in a country polarised under the BJP.

Three powerful women politicians, each from a very different section of Indian society, may pose a big threat to the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning a second term in a general election due by May.

Three powerful women politicians, each from a very different section of Indian society, may pose a big threat to the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning a second term in a general election due by May. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, part of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for much of the time since its independence from the British in 1947, joined the struggle in January, when the opposition Congress party made her its face in the nation's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Two other senior female politicians - the firebrand chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, and Mayawati, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister - are also plotting to unseat Modi's ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition by forming big opposition groupings, though there is no firm agreement between them as yet. "The opposition has more powerful women leaders than the NDA, and therefore they will be able to carry conviction with voters generally, and with women voters, in particular," said Yashwant Sinha, 81, a former finance minister who quit Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dominates the NDA, last year. "They should be very worried, especially after the defeat in the three major Hindi heartland states," he said, referring to BJP's losses in recent state elections. The entry of Priyanka - she is usually referred to by just her first name - into the political fray drew a gushing reaction from much of the Indian media. There were pictures of elated supporters dancing, a lot of talk of the 47-year-old's resemblance to her grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and comments about her gifts as a speaker able to connect with voters. That contrasts with her brother, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who in the past has been criticized for lacking the common touch. Triple challenge The other two women seen threatening Modi's grip on power have a lot more experience than Priyanka, and both could be seen as potential prime ministerial candidates in a coalition government. Mayawati, a 63-year-old former teacher who goes by just the one name, last month formed an alliance between her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – which mainly represents the Dalits - and its once bitter foes, the Samajwadi Party that tends to draw support from other lower castes and Muslims. Then there is 64-year-old Banerjee, who has twice been railways minister in federal governments. Last month, Banerjee – who built her All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party after leaving Congress in 1997 - organised an anti-BJP rally in Kolkata that attracted hundreds of thousands. Party colleagues of the three women leaders said they were not available for comment. To be sure, Modi remains, for now, the most popular leader in the country, opinion polls show. Modi also cannot be accused of ignoring women's issues during his first term. He has launched a government campaign - Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, or "Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter" - and called for the eradication of female foeticide. His campaigns to provide toilets and subsidised gas cylinders for poorer Indians are often promoted as ways to empower women. He has six women in his 26-strong cabinet, though a lot of power is centralised with Modi and a couple of senior male lieutenants. The BJP said it would seek votes on the basis of achievements under Modi and the opposition did not have a "positive alternative to the government and its activities". Personal Ties Congress has said it wants to form a post-poll partnership with Mayawati's BSP and SP alliance, though it will be fighting against it in 78 seats. The alliance will not contest two Gandhi strongholds won multiple times by Rahul and his mother Sonia. Mayawati told a press conference announcing the alliance with the SP that Congress was not part of it because they did not think "there would be much benefit in having them with us before the election". The BSP, however, backs Congress-led governments in the northern states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. There is no formal alliance between Banerjee and Congress, though she does know Rahul and Priyanka. Dinesh Trivedi, a former federal minister and a close aide to Banerjee, said she enjoys a good personal relationship with Sonia Gandhi, the matriarch of the dynasty and a former Congress president, and so working with her two children would not be a problem. "In terms of experience, Mamata Banerjee is far ahead," Trivedi said. "I wouldn't be surprised if Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi would look at Mamata Banerjee as somebody who could really inspire them." The strength of Priyanka, Mayawati and Banerjee as a potential opposition alliance is that they can appeal to different parts of the electorate. Two Congress sources said the formal entry into politics of Priyanka could help rejuvenate the party in Uttar Pradesh, where it is a marginal player. Coming from what is India's first family, they said she could appeal to upper caste voters in the state who typically vote for the pro-business BJP. A Congress leader close to the Gandhis said she would attract women, young people, and floating voters. Priyanka is far from a political neophyte, having supported her brother and mother during previous election campaigns. She has also experienced political and personal tragedy, as Rahul Gandhi stressed in a speech last week. "You have to understand my relationship with my sister – we have been through a hell of a lot together," he said. "Everybody is like 'look, you come from this illustrious family, and everything is easy'. Actually, it's not so easy. My father was assassinated, my grandmother was assassinated, huge political battles, wins in political battles, losses in political battles." 'National leader' BSP spokesman Sudhindra Bhadoria said Mayawati's gender did not matter. "She has managed a party from scratch to this level. The important fact is that she has organised large numbers, both men and women, Dalits, other backward castes, the poor, minorities," Bhadoria said. "I don't fit them in the straightjacket of male-female. I think she's a national leader." She is regarded as ambitious. A US diplomatic cable in 2008, among many thousands leaked by Wikileaks two years later, described her as "first-rate egomaniac" who "is obsessed with becoming prime minister". But Mayawati has also been credited with empowering oppressed lower caste Hindus. Banerjee, who defeated a 34-year-old communist government in West Bengal in an election in 2011, is known for her streetwise political skills and portrays herself as a secular leader in a country polarised under the BJP.

Three women who could be Modi's biggest nightmare in upcoming general election

On an oppressively hot June day in Lucknow 23 years ago, events unfolded that could impact the 2019 Lok Sabha election. &nbsp;Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. SP had 109 seats in the 425-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly. It was supported in a tense if outwardly cordial coalition government by Kanshi Ram’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 67 seats. Mayawati, then 39-year-old and BSP’s general secretary was a rising star of the party.

On the evening of June 2, 1995, fearing that BSP would withdraw support for the SP-led coalition government, several SP MLAs and workers attacked a group of BSP MLAs closeted in a strategy meeting in the Lucknow state guest house.&nbsp;

The SP leaders’ aim was to break the BSP party by intimidating its MLAs. What followed exposed the violent DNA that characterises the SP even today.

As a leading daily reported on June 3, 1995, in an article titled Mulayam’s men attack BSP legislators’ meet: “The Samajwadi Party workers, armed with rifles and weapons, barged into a meeting room of the BSP workers…and assaulted the BSP legislators, ‘kidnapping’ some of them.&nbsp;

Senior BSP leaders, including Mayawati, slipped into a suite reserved for her in the guest house. The Lucknow SSP, OP Singh, as well as his men, were a mute witness as the SP men snapped the telephone and power lines…and started beating (the BSP MLAs) with lathis. About 300 SP miscreants were led by over a dozen party MLAs, mostly with a criminal background.” &nbsp;

The impact on Uttar Pradesh politics was immediate and dramatic. Motilal Vora, the longtime Congress loyalist (and currently in the news as one of those on bail in the National Herald case), was governor of Uttar Pradesh. Acting on Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s advice, Vora promptly sacked Mulayam’s government on June 3.&nbsp;

The chief minister was not given an opportunity to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly. In an era bereft of television, social media and PIL activists, the Congress action went unchallenged.&nbsp;

But the Narasimha Rao government was in for a surprise. Within hours of Mulayam’s sacking, Mayawati tied up with the BJP and Janata Dal to extend outside support. She was sworn in as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh the same evening.&nbsp;

The ensuing decades-long enmity between the BSP and SP ensured that elections in Uttar Pradesh would henceforth be multi-cornered. The decline of the Congress, which had governed Uttar Pradesh for most of the period from 1950 to 1989, but never after 1989, coincided with the rise of Mayawati and the growing electoral importance of the Dalit vote.&nbsp;

Today Mayawati could prove the biggest obstacle for Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his bid to lead the anti-Narendra Modi mahagathbandhan.

Mayawati takes slights to heart. It took 23 years and an electoral wipeout of the BSP in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, for Mayawati to again collaborate with the SP’s new leadership under Akhilesh Yadav who was 18-year-old when the Lucknow state guest house attack took place.&nbsp;

Mayawati declared at her press conference with Akhilesh after formalising the BSP-SP pact in Uttar Pradesh that BSP would never support the Congress in the state or nationally. Mayawati, not Akhilesh, vetoed inclusion of the Congress in 2019 UP gathbandhan.&nbsp;

Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra’s entry into frontline politics in Uttar Pradesh complicates matters. The battle between Mayawati, guarding her turf in Uttar Pradesh, and Priyanka, seeking to re-establish Congress in the state, could lead to unintended consequences for both.

Sterner tests meanwhile await Mayawati at the national level. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has thrown her hat into the mahagathbandhan ring. Meanwhile, the YSRCP’s Jaganmohan Reddy, TRS’s K Chandrashekar Rao and BJD’s Naveen Patnaik are manoeuvring to form a non-BJP, non-Congress front.

As Opposition leaders jockey for position, the Congress may be left with the task of being an anti-Modi choreographer, not a principal actor. That task could come down to a contest between Mayawati and Mamata. With each likely to win between 25 and 30 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, they will need to attract the non-BJP, non-Congress Third Front to join them in a coalition government and seek Congress support from within or outside.

Mayawati has a record as a tough administrator, but her government was beset with accusations of corruption, though none have been proved. Mamata too is under a cloud in the Saradha and Rosy Blue probes. Rahul Gandhi could thus end up as queen-maker.&nbsp;

With around 100 seats in 2019, the Congress will be the second largest party after the BJP. Rahul will have to put his prime ministerial ambitions on hold while he decides who between Mayawati and Mamata poses the least potent long-term threat to the Congress.

Watching this drama unfold, Modi and his Svengali Amit Shah will be doing some plotting of their own. As the events of June 3, 1995, demonstrated, the BJP and BSP have done business together. Mayawati is as unpredictable as Modi is imperturbable. Uttar Pradesh lifted him to power in 2014. Five years later, while the 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections (EWS) may help the BJP arrest the alienation of UP’s upper castes, the Mayawati-Akhilesh gathbandhan could determine his future.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-mayawati-holds-the-key-to-2019-2714388">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

On an oppressively hot June day in Lucknow 23 years ago, events unfolded that could impact the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

On an oppressively hot June day in Lucknow 23 years ago, events unfolded that could impact the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. SP had 109 seats in the 425-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly. It was supported in a tense if outwardly cordial coalition government by Kanshi Ram’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 67 seats. Mayawati, then 39-year-old and BSP’s general secretary was a rising star of the party. On the evening of June 2, 1995, fearing that BSP would withdraw support for the SP-led coalition government, several SP MLAs and workers attacked a group of BSP MLAs closeted in a strategy meeting in the Lucknow state guest house. The SP leaders’ aim was to break the BSP party by intimidating its MLAs. What followed exposed the violent DNA that characterises the SP even today. As a leading daily reported on June 3, 1995, in an article titled Mulayam’s men attack BSP legislators’ meet: “The Samajwadi Party workers, armed with rifles and weapons, barged into a meeting room of the BSP workers…and assaulted the BSP legislators, ‘kidnapping’ some of them. Senior BSP leaders, including Mayawati, slipped into a suite reserved for her in the guest house. The Lucknow SSP, OP Singh, as well as his men, were a mute witness as the SP men snapped the telephone and power lines…and started beating (the BSP MLAs) with lathis. About 300 SP miscreants were led by over a dozen party MLAs, mostly with a criminal background.” The impact on Uttar Pradesh politics was immediate and dramatic. Motilal Vora, the longtime Congress loyalist (and currently in the news as one of those on bail in the National Herald case), was governor of Uttar Pradesh. Acting on Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s advice, Vora promptly sacked Mulayam’s government on June 3. The chief minister was not given an opportunity to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly. In an era bereft of television, social media and PIL activists, the Congress action went unchallenged. But the Narasimha Rao government was in for a surprise. Within hours of Mulayam’s sacking, Mayawati tied up with the BJP and Janata Dal to extend outside support. She was sworn in as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh the same evening. The ensuing decades-long enmity between the BSP and SP ensured that elections in Uttar Pradesh would henceforth be multi-cornered. The decline of the Congress, which had governed Uttar Pradesh for most of the period from 1950 to 1989, but never after 1989, coincided with the rise of Mayawati and the growing electoral importance of the Dalit vote. Today Mayawati could prove the biggest obstacle for Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his bid to lead the anti-Narendra Modi mahagathbandhan. Mayawati takes slights to heart. It took 23 years and an electoral wipeout of the BSP in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, for Mayawati to again collaborate with the SP’s new leadership under Akhilesh Yadav who was 18-year-old when the Lucknow state guest house attack took place. Mayawati declared at her press conference with Akhilesh after formalising the BSP-SP pact in Uttar Pradesh that BSP would never support the Congress in the state or nationally. Mayawati, not Akhilesh, vetoed inclusion of the Congress in 2019 UP gathbandhan. Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra’s entry into frontline politics in Uttar Pradesh complicates matters. The battle between Mayawati, guarding her turf in Uttar Pradesh, and Priyanka, seeking to re-establish Congress in the state, could lead to unintended consequences for both. Sterner tests meanwhile await Mayawati at the national level. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has thrown her hat into the mahagathbandhan ring. Meanwhile, the YSRCP’s Jaganmohan Reddy, TRS’s K Chandrashekar Rao and BJD’s Naveen Patnaik are manoeuvring to form a non-BJP, non-Congress front. As Opposition leaders jockey for position, the Congress may be left with the task of being an anti-Modi choreographer, not a principal actor. That task could come down to a contest between Mayawati and Mamata. With each likely to win between 25 and 30 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, they will need to attract the non-BJP, non-Congress Third Front to join them in a coalition government and seek Congress support from within or outside. Mayawati has a record as a tough administrator, but her government was beset with accusations of corruption, though none have been proved. Mamata too is under a cloud in the Saradha and Rosy Blue probes. Rahul Gandhi could thus end up as queen-maker. With around 100 seats in 2019, the Congress will be the second largest party after the BJP. Rahul will have to put his prime ministerial ambitions on hold while he decides who between Mayawati and Mamata poses the least potent long-term threat to the Congress. Watching this drama unfold, Modi and his Svengali Amit Shah will be doing some plotting of their own. As the events of June 3, 1995, demonstrated, the BJP and BSP have done business together. Mayawati is as unpredictable as Modi is imperturbable. Uttar Pradesh lifted him to power in 2014. Five years later, while the 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections (EWS) may help the BJP arrest the alienation of UP’s upper castes, the Mayawati-Akhilesh gathbandhan could determine his future. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Mayawati holds the key to 2019

Amid claims by an Indian cyber expert that electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be hacked, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Tuesday reacted to the row. The Union Minister alleged that the Congress had organised the EVM hackathon in London in which the cyber expert claimed that the 2014 general elections were rigged.

The event was sponsored by the Congress, the minister of Electronics and IT said at a press conference in New Delhi today.&nbsp;

Prasad stated that the cyber expert's claim will be exposed, adding that the Congress insulted the 2014 mandate.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/evm-hacking-claim-election-commission-asserts-foolproof-nature-of-its-machines-mulls-legal-action-191855">Election Commission of India on Monday</a> stated that it firmly stands by "empirical facts about foolproof nature" of its machines and said it is examining as to what legal action "can and should" be taken in the matter, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, political leaders from across the country have reacted to the report. Andhra Pradesh chief minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/evm-hackathon-andhra-cm-demands-election-commission-to-revert-to-paper-ballot-system-191876">N Chandrababu Naidu</a> stated the Commission must go back to using ballot box system for the upcoming general elections.&nbsp;

BSP president and SP chief, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, also spoke in favour of a strict probe into the matter. &nbsp;

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Mayawati: Keeping democracy's larger interest in view,essential to look into EVM matter so that it gets resolved soon. It's possible to validate ballot paper but it's not the case with EVM. We demand EC to hold 2019 general election using ballot paper,taking this into cognizance. <a href="https://t.co/iNSxO9CSnc">pic.twitter.com/iNSxO9CSnc</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1087623820939276289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Keeping democracy's larger interest in view, essential to look into EVM matter so that it gets resolved soon. It's possible to validate ballot paper but it's not the case with EVM. We demand EC to hold 2019 general election using ballot paper, taking this into cognizance," Mayawati told reporters on Tuesday.&nbsp;

"If someone has raised a question then it must be thought that what is the reason that a developed country like Japan is not using EVMs. It is not a question of a political party, it's a question of trust in democracy. EC &amp; govt should make a decision," Akhilesh Yadav noted.&nbsp;

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Akhilesh Yadav, SP chief: If someone has raised a question then it must be thought that what is the reason that a developed country like Japan is not using EVMs. It is not a question of a political party, it's a question of trust in democracy. EC &amp; govt should make a decision. <a href="https://t.co/r5zvjDDInK">pic.twitter.com/r5zvjDDInK</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1087618932687757312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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An Indian cyber expert, seeking political asylum in the US, Monday claimed the 2014 general election was "rigged" through the electronic voting machines, which, he said can be hacked.

Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, the man, identified as Syed Shuja, said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

Amid claims by an Indian cyber expert that electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be hacked, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Tuesday reacted to the row. The Union Minister alleged that the Congress had organised the EVM hackathon in London in which the cyber expert claimed that the 2014 general elections were rigged.

Amid claims by an Indian cyber expert that electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be hacked, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Tuesday reacted to the row. The Union Minister alleged that the Congress had organised the EVM hackathon in London in which the cyber expert claimed that the 2014 general elections were rigged. The event was sponsored by the Congress, the minister of Electronics and IT said at a press conference in New Delhi today. Prasad stated that the cyber expert's claim will be exposed, adding that the Congress insulted the 2014 mandate. The Election Commission of India on Monday stated that it firmly stands by "empirical facts about foolproof nature" of its machines and said it is examining as to what legal action "can and should" be taken in the matter, news agency PTI reported. Meanwhile, political leaders from across the country have reacted to the report. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu stated the Commission must go back to using ballot box system for the upcoming general elections. BSP president and SP chief, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, also spoke in favour of a strict probe into the matter. Mayawati: Keeping democracy's larger interest in view,essential to look into EVM matter so that it gets resolved soon. It's possible to validate ballot paper but it's not the case with EVM. We demand EC to hold 2019 general election using ballot paper,taking this into cognizance. pic.twitter.com/iNSxO9CSnc — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 22, 2019 × "Keeping democracy's larger interest in view, essential to look into EVM matter so that it gets resolved soon. It's possible to validate ballot paper but it's not the case with EVM. We demand EC to hold 2019 general election using ballot paper, taking this into cognizance," Mayawati told reporters on Tuesday. "If someone has raised a question then it must be thought that what is the reason that a developed country like Japan is not using EVMs. It is not a question of a political party, it's a question of trust in democracy. EC & govt should make a decision," Akhilesh Yadav noted. Akhilesh Yadav, SP chief: If someone has raised a question then it must be thought that what is the reason that a developed country like Japan is not using EVMs. It is not a question of a political party, it's a question of trust in democracy. EC & govt should make a decision. pic.twitter.com/r5zvjDDInK — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 22, 2019 × An Indian cyber expert, seeking political asylum in the US, Monday claimed the 2014 general election was "rigged" through the electronic voting machines, which, he said can be hacked. Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, the man, identified as Syed Shuja, said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members, news agency PTI reported.

EVM hacking claim: Centre alleges Congress organised hackathon in London, opposition says switch back to ballot box

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by BJP MLA Sadhana Singh about BSP chief Mayawati, news agency ANI reported.

The Commission will be sending a notice to Sadhna Singh regarding the statement in question.

While addressing a public gathering, Singh without directly referring to the guest house incident, where Mayawati along with several other BSP leaders was attacked by Samajwadi Party workers, said that a woman who underwent a 'chirharan' (disrobe) is now compromising with the perpetrators, "she is worse than a eunuch."

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The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by BJP MLA Sadhana Singh about BSP chief Mayawati. The Commission will be sending a notice to Sadhna Singh regarding the statement in question <a href="https://t.co/VnlCdpl8wB">pic.twitter.com/VnlCdpl8wB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1086870184713957376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra called <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-mla-sadhana-singh-says-mayawti-worse-than-eunuch-bsp-replies-mentally-ill-191536">Singh "mentally ill</a>" over her remarks on the BSP chief.&nbsp;

"The language used by BJP leader Sadhana Singh against our party President Mayawati shows the level of the BJP. This shows that BJP is disappointed and frustrated with the SP-BSP alliance. They have no strength to win even a single seat in Uttar Pradesh. The level of language shows their mental illness. Such people should be admitted to the mental hospital of Agra or Bareli. The people of this country this time will show BJP its real place. They have lost their mental balance in fear of losing the election in Uttar Pradesh," he noted.&nbsp;

Sadhana Singh is a member of UP's 17th Legislative Assembly and represents the Mughalsarai constituency in Chandauli district.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by BJP MLA Sadhana Singh about BSP chief Mayawati, news agency ANI reported.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by BJP MLA Sadhana Singh about BSP chief Mayawati, news agency ANI reported. The Commission will be sending a notice to Sadhna Singh regarding the statement in question. While addressing a public gathering, Singh without directly referring to the guest house incident, where Mayawati along with several other BSP leaders was attacked by Samajwadi Party workers, said that a woman who underwent a 'chirharan' (disrobe) is now compromising with the perpetrators, "she is worse than a eunuch." The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by BJP MLA Sadhana Singh about BSP chief Mayawati. The Commission will be sending a notice to Sadhna Singh regarding the statement in question pic.twitter.com/VnlCdpl8wB — ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2019 × Meanwhile, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra called Singh "mentally ill" over her remarks on the BSP chief. "The language used by BJP leader Sadhana Singh against our party President Mayawati shows the level of the BJP. This shows that BJP is disappointed and frustrated with the SP-BSP alliance. They have no strength to win even a single seat in Uttar Pradesh. The level of language shows their mental illness. Such people should be admitted to the mental hospital of Agra or Bareli. The people of this country this time will show BJP its real place. They have lost their mental balance in fear of losing the election in Uttar Pradesh," he noted. Sadhana Singh is a member of UP's 17th Legislative Assembly and represents the Mughalsarai constituency in Chandauli district. (With inputs from ANI)

NCW to send notice to MLA Sadhna Singh for calling Mayawati 'worse than eunuch'

Uttar Pradesh MLA Sadhana Singh is "mentally ill", said BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, after the MLA from Mughalsarai called Mayawati "a person worse than a eunuch".

While addressing a public gathering, Singh without directly referring to the guest house incident, where Mayawati along with several other BSP leaders was attacked by Samajwadi Party workers, said that a woman who underwent a 'chirharan'&nbsp;(disrobe) is now compromising with the perpetrators, "she is worse than a eunuch."

Mishra further asserted that the SP-BSP alliance has rattled the morale of the BJP leaders and that they have lost their mental balance in fear of losing the coming elections.

The SP and the BSP last week announced that they would contest the upcoming 2019 general elections collectively against the BJP.

"The language used by BJP leader Sadhana Singh against our party President Mayawati shows the level of the BJP. This shows that BJP is disappointed and frustrated with the SP-BSP alliance. They have no strength to win even a single seat in Uttar Pradesh. The level of language shows their mental illness. Such people should be admitted to the mental hospital of Agra or Bareli. The people of this country this time will show BJP its real place. They have lost their mental balance in fear of losing the election in Uttar Pradesh."

Sadhana Singh is a member of UP's 17th Legislative Assembly and represents the Mughalsarai constituency in Chandauli district.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh MLA Sadhana Singh is "mentally ill", said BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, after the MLA from Mughalsarai called Mayawati "a person worse than a eunuch".

Uttar Pradesh MLA Sadhana Singh is "mentally ill", said BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, after the MLA from Mughalsarai called Mayawati "a person worse than a eunuch". While addressing a public gathering, Singh without directly referring to the guest house incident, where Mayawati along with several other BSP leaders was attacked by Samajwadi Party workers, said that a woman who underwent a 'chirharan' (disrobe) is now compromising with the perpetrators, "she is worse than a eunuch." Mishra further asserted that the SP-BSP alliance has rattled the morale of the BJP leaders and that they have lost their mental balance in fear of losing the coming elections. The SP and the BSP last week announced that they would contest the upcoming 2019 general elections collectively against the BJP. "The language used by BJP leader Sadhana Singh against our party President Mayawati shows the level of the BJP. This shows that BJP is disappointed and frustrated with the SP-BSP alliance. They have no strength to win even a single seat in Uttar Pradesh. The level of language shows their mental illness. Such people should be admitted to the mental hospital of Agra or Bareli. The people of this country this time will show BJP its real place. They have lost their mental balance in fear of losing the election in Uttar Pradesh." Sadhana Singh is a member of UP's 17th Legislative Assembly and represents the Mughalsarai constituency in Chandauli district.

UP MLA Sadhana Singh says Mayawati 'worse than eunuch', BSP replies 'mentally ill'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-mla-sadhana-singh-says-mayawti-worse-than-eunuch-bsp-replies-mentally-ill-191536">BJP MLA Sadhna Singh</a> apologised for her derogatory comment on BSP chief Mayawati.

''I had no intentions of disrespecting anyone, I express regret if someone was hurt by my words,'' she said.

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BJP MLA Sadhna Singh on her statement on BSP chief Mayawati: I had no intentions of disrespecting anyone, I express regret if someone was hurt by my words. <a href="https://t.co/k4PRoaSpS4">pic.twitter.com/k4PRoaSpS4</a>
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While addressing a public gathering, Singh without directly referring to the guest house incident, where Mayawati along with several other BSP leaders was attacked by Samajwadi Party workers, said that a woman who underwent a 'chirharan' (disrobe) is now compromising with the perpetrators, "she is worse than a eunuch."

Meanwhile, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra called Singh "mentally ill" over her remarks on the BSP chief.&nbsp;

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by Sadhana Singh.

The Commission will be sending a notice to Sadhna Singh regarding the statement in question.

BJP MLA Sadhna Singh apologised for her derogatory comment on BSP chief Mayawati. ''I had no intentions of disrespecting anyone, I express regret if someone was hurt by my words,'' she said.

BJP MLA Sadhna Singh apologised for her derogatory comment on BSP chief Mayawati. ''I had no intentions of disrespecting anyone, I express regret if someone was hurt by my words,'' she said. BJP MLA Sadhna Singh on her statement on BSP chief Mayawati: I had no intentions of disrespecting anyone, I express regret if someone was hurt by my words. pic.twitter.com/k4PRoaSpS4 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 20, 2019 × While addressing a public gathering, Singh without directly referring to the guest house incident, where Mayawati along with several other BSP leaders was attacked by Samajwadi Party workers, said that a woman who underwent a 'chirharan' (disrobe) is now compromising with the perpetrators, "she is worse than a eunuch." Meanwhile, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra called Singh "mentally ill" over her remarks on the BSP chief. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken Suo Motu cognisance of the objectionable statement made by Sadhana Singh. The Commission will be sending a notice to Sadhna Singh regarding the statement in question.

No intentions of disrespecting anyone: BJP MLA Sadhna Singh regrets her remarks on Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday said that she will make her nephew Akash join the BSP "movement" and give him a chance to learn, reported news agency PTI.

Reacting to allegations of nepotism levelled against her in a press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati announced that she will make her nephew Akash join the BSP "movement" and give him a chance to learn.&nbsp;

She said the rise in the BSP's popularity after its alliance with the Samajwadi Party has created unrest among some parties and leaders.&nbsp;

"Rise in the popularity of BSP and its alliance with SP has created unrest among parties and leaders who are anti-Dalits and casteist, she said added that ''instead of fighting us fair and square they are making absurd remarks against us and conspiring with some casteist and anti-Dalit TV channels''.

Her comments follow reports in a section of the media that her nephew would be her heir apparent.

Accusing the "casteist and anti-Dalit" media of raising issues of nepotism, she said she was a disciple of Kanshi Ram and would give them a befitting reply.&nbsp;

If anyone has problems with that, so be it, her party does not care, Mayawati said.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday said that she will make her nephew Akash join the BSP "movement" and give him a chance to learn, reported news agency PTI.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday said that she will make her nephew Akash join the BSP "movement" and give him a chance to learn, reported news agency PTI. Reacting to allegations of nepotism levelled against her in a press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati announced that she will make her nephew Akash join the BSP "movement" and give him a chance to learn. She said the rise in the BSP's popularity after its alliance with the Samajwadi Party has created unrest among some parties and leaders. "Rise in the popularity of BSP and its alliance with SP has created unrest among parties and leaders who are anti-Dalits and casteist, she said added that ''instead of fighting us fair and square they are making absurd remarks against us and conspiring with some casteist and anti-Dalit TV channels''. Her comments follow reports in a section of the media that her nephew would be her heir apparent. Accusing the "casteist and anti-Dalit" media of raising issues of nepotism, she said she was a disciple of Kanshi Ram and would give them a befitting reply. If anyone has problems with that, so be it, her party does not care, Mayawati said.

Will make nephew join BSP movement, give him chance to learn: Mayawati

Buoyed by the new SP-BSP alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections, at least one Bahujan Samaj Party leader has gone on social media projecting party chief Mayawati as the next prime minister.

Senior BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria shared a poster expressing the wish on his certified Twitter handle while congratulating Mayawati Tuesday on her 63rd birthday, celebrated as `Jan Kalyankari Diwas' or Public Welfare Day.

Bhadoria tweeted that it was his dream to see the BSP chief become prime minister.

The poster, purportedly issued by the BSP's Karnataka unit, declares "Mayawati India's to-be Prime Minister".

The sentiment seemed to have surfaced in Mayawati's own address to the media on her birthday.

"UP decides who will come to power at the Centre and who will be the prime minister. The BSP and the SP must fight together, setting aside their differences and ensure the victory of all alliance candidates," she said, apparently hinting at her prime ministerial ambitions.

At last week's joint press conference, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had avoided a direct reply when asked if he would support Mayawati for the prime minister's post if the situation arose.

"You know whom I will support,"&nbsp;he had said. "I have said in the past that UP has always given the PM (to the country) and I will be happy if it gives a PM again."

The SP-BSP combine has announced it will not put up candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the seats from where Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi contest for the Lok Sabha.

But at the same time, she has criticised the Congress for its policies over the years, implicitly ruling out the two leaders as her choice for the prime minister's post - at least at this stage.

The SP and the BSP had declared a 50-50 seat-sharing deal under which each party will contest 38 Lok Sabha seats out of the 80 in the state.

In addition to the two seats for the Congress, the SP-BSP alliance has also declared it will leave two seats for its smaller allies, who are yet to be formally named.

After being snubbed by the new alliance, the Congress has said it will contest all Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

Buoyed by the new SP-BSP alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections, at least one Bahujan Samaj Party leader has gone on social media projecting party chief Mayawati as the next prime minister.

Buoyed by the new SP-BSP alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections, at least one Bahujan Samaj Party leader has gone on social media projecting party chief Mayawati as the next prime minister. Senior BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria shared a poster expressing the wish on his certified Twitter handle while congratulating Mayawati Tuesday on her 63rd birthday, celebrated as `Jan Kalyankari Diwas' or Public Welfare Day. Bhadoria tweeted that it was his dream to see the BSP chief become prime minister. The poster, purportedly issued by the BSP's Karnataka unit, declares "Mayawati India's to-be Prime Minister". The sentiment seemed to have surfaced in Mayawati's own address to the media on her birthday. "UP decides who will come to power at the Centre and who will be the prime minister. The BSP and the SP must fight together, setting aside their differences and ensure the victory of all alliance candidates," she said, apparently hinting at her prime ministerial ambitions. At last week's joint press conference, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had avoided a direct reply when asked if he would support Mayawati for the prime minister's post if the situation arose. "You know whom I will support," he had said. "I have said in the past that UP has always given the PM (to the country) and I will be happy if it gives a PM again." The SP-BSP combine has announced it will not put up candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the seats from where Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi contest for the Lok Sabha. But at the same time, she has criticised the Congress for its policies over the years, implicitly ruling out the two leaders as her choice for the prime minister's post - at least at this stage. The SP and the BSP had declared a 50-50 seat-sharing deal under which each party will contest 38 Lok Sabha seats out of the 80 in the state. In addition to the two seats for the Congress, the SP-BSP alliance has also declared it will leave two seats for its smaller allies, who are yet to be formally named. After being snubbed by the new alliance, the Congress has said it will contest all Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati should be PM, party leader tweets

Speaking on her 63rd birthday in Lucknow on Tuesday, BSP supremo Mayawati said her "ideal birthday gift" would be a victory of all joint candidates of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/sp-and-bsp-announce-alliance-against-bjp-in-uttar-pradesh-189790">SP-BSP alliance</a>.

The former UP chief minister further said that SP-BSP need to forget past differences after the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/bsp-sp-alliance-returns-after-25-years-will-the-coalition-deliver-in-2019-190124"> tie-up</a>.

The BSP supremo and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had announced the alliance of their parties&nbsp;for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bsp-sp-to-contest-38-seats-each-alliance-will-give-sleepless-nights-to-modi-shah-says-mayawati-189793">joint press conference </a>on Saturday.

The two leaders will contest 38 each of Uttar Pradesh's 80 seats leaving two seats for other parties.

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Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav greets Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati at her residence, on her birthday today. <a href="https://t.co/COWRKjHkYB">pic.twitter.com/COWRKjHkYB</a>
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SP-BSP alliance will not field any candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli and will leave both the seats for the Congress, Mayawati had stated.&nbsp;

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati also stressed the need for a strong farm loan waiver policy.

"We have always worked for the poor and the downtrodden. The government should give 100% farm loan waiver else farmer suicides will continue. A strong farm loan waiver policy should be made, "she said.

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BSP Chief Mayawati in Lucknow: We have always worked for the poor and the down trodden. The government should give 100% farm loan waiver else farmer suicides will continue. A strong farm loan waiver policy should be made. <a href="https://t.co/nRvA8K81SD">pic.twitter.com/nRvA8K81SD</a>
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(With inputs from agencies)

Speaking on her 63rd birthday in Lucknow on Tuesday, BSP supremo Mayawati said her "ideal birthday gift" would be a victory of all joint candidates of SP-BSP alliance.

Speaking on her 63rd birthday in Lucknow on Tuesday, BSP supremo Mayawati said her "ideal birthday gift" would be a victory of all joint candidates of SP-BSP alliance. The former UP chief minister further said that SP-BSP need to forget past differences after the tie-up. The BSP supremo and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had announced the alliance of their parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in a joint press conference on Saturday. The two leaders will contest 38 each of Uttar Pradesh's 80 seats leaving two seats for other parties. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav greets Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati at her residence, on her birthday today. pic.twitter.com/COWRKjHkYB — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 15, 2019 × SP-BSP alliance will not field any candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli and will leave both the seats for the Congress, Mayawati had stated. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati also stressed the need for a strong farm loan waiver policy. "We have always worked for the poor and the downtrodden. The government should give 100% farm loan waiver else farmer suicides will continue. A strong farm loan waiver policy should be made, "she said. BSP Chief Mayawati in Lucknow: We have always worked for the poor and the down trodden. The government should give 100% farm loan waiver else farmer suicides will continue. A strong farm loan waiver policy should be made. pic.twitter.com/nRvA8K81SD — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 15, 2019 × (With inputs from agencies)

Ideal birthday gift would be victory for BSP-SP candidates: Mayawati

The political wheels have come full circle in Uttar Pradesh. About 25 years ago, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party came together to successfully contest the 1993 Assembly elections in the state. The idea was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay following its rise. Now the two parties have aligned yet again to counter the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Since we are into history, let’s recall a few incidents that happened thereafter.&nbsp;

Then it was Mulayam Singh Yadav from the SP and Kanshi Ram from the BSP who stitched the partnership. Two prominent industrialists had played a significant role in bringing the rivals together, and they were subsequently rewarded with Rajya Sabha seats. The BJP still won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority, while the combined numerical strength of the SP and the BSP led to the formation of a coalition regime with Mulayam Singh Yadav as the chief minister. Mayawati did not join the government, but she was entrusted with the task of supervising the partnership. &nbsp;

The alliance worked well for the first few months, but friction began to develop thereafter, more so after incidents of violence which had erupted following the removal of an Ambedkar statue in Meerut in 1994. The state police, which had a good number from the Yadav caste, came down hard on the protesters and at least two members of the Scheduled Castes died in the firing. More problems arose when the Yadav community protested against the installation of an Ambedkar statue on a plot of land it claimed belonged to the community. The Yadav-Scheduled Caste confrontation led Mayawati to get aggressive, and soon reports began to circulate that she was interfering in the functioning of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government. &nbsp;

Then came then infamous guest house incident in mid-1995. By then, political equations had begun to change in Lucknow. The BJP and the BSP had got closer to each other with the latter realising it would have to pull out of the coalition regime to keep its Scheduled caste vote-base intact. Indeed, Mayawati had met the Governor and effectively withdrawn support to the government. All hell broke. Mayawati had summoned a meeting of her legislators at the state guest house in Lucknow to discuss further course of action. Once the meeting was done, the BSP leader was closeted with a few senior leaders for fine-tuning the political strategy. A mob of around 200 SP leaders and supporters attacked the guest house and raised casteist slogans against her and her community. It was followed by more filthy language and threats to kill. Power supply to the guest house was cut off and the mob shouted for Mayawati to be dragged out and taught a lesson. The BSP legislators who came in contact with the mob were brutally assaulted. &nbsp;

Two junior police officers came to Mayawati’s rescue. Later the district magistrate of Lucknow and some BJP leaders played important roles in the rescue of the BSP leader. A traumatic Mayawati and her guru Kanshi Ram vowed to never do business with the SP. She soon became chief minister with the BJP’s support.&nbsp;

Cut to the present: On Saturday, sharing the stage with SP leader Akhilesh Yadav to announce the renewed partnership between the SP and the BSP and the seat-sharing deal, Mayawati remarked that she was willing to forgive and forget the 1995 incident in the larger interests of the nation (read, to get rid of the Modi government from the Centre). &nbsp;

Then, as now, the common factor is the need to counter the BJP. But that’s where the commonality ends. The first difference is that the two leaders who made the alliance possible in 1993 are not in the picture this time around. Kanshi Ram is dead and Mulayam Singh Yadav is a mere bystander in the party which he founded. While both Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav were astute, in the present case Mayawati, now a veteran both in terms of years in politics and mercurial nature, clearly has the edge, whereas Akhilesh Yadav is subdued by his relatively junior status and inexperience. Everybody knows who will call the shots in the post-result scenario if the combine does well, is not a secret.&nbsp;

The second difference is that the 1993 alliance had been for Assembly elections, whereas the present one — at least for now — is for the Lok Sabha polls. Then it was Mulayam-Kanshi Ram versus Kalyan Singh of the BJP, who had been deposed as chief minister following the Ayodhya mosque destruction incident. Today it is Akhilesh-Mayawati versus Narendra Modi — a more formidable challenge.&nbsp;

The third refers to the political status of the BJP. Then, the BJP was not in power either at the Centre or in the state. Today it’s there in both places. In the 2014 general elections, the party had got 40 per cent of the vote-share in Uttar Pradesh. The SP could manage only five seats while the BSP ended with none. The situation was not much different in the 2017 assembly polls where the SP and the BSP had to bite the dust while the BJP romped home with a huge majority. &nbsp;And yet the SP-BSP combine has reason to feel upbeat. It had tasted blood in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls, and this had proved to be a trigger to explore a formalise alliance between the two parties.&nbsp; &nbsp;

There, questions remain: First, will the coalition deliver in 2019? Will it last in case of failure? Will it sustain even after the victory or become victim to ego battles, as had happened in 1995?&nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The political wheels have come full circle in Uttar Pradesh. About 25 years ago, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party came together to successfully contest the 1993 Assembly elections in the state.

The political wheels have come full circle in Uttar Pradesh. About 25 years ago, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party came together to successfully contest the 1993 Assembly elections in the state. The idea was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay following its rise. Now the two parties have aligned yet again to counter the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Since we are into history, let’s recall a few incidents that happened thereafter. Then it was Mulayam Singh Yadav from the SP and Kanshi Ram from the BSP who stitched the partnership. Two prominent industrialists had played a significant role in bringing the rivals together, and they were subsequently rewarded with Rajya Sabha seats. The BJP still won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority, while the combined numerical strength of the SP and the BSP led to the formation of a coalition regime with Mulayam Singh Yadav as the chief minister. Mayawati did not join the government, but she was entrusted with the task of supervising the partnership. The alliance worked well for the first few months, but friction began to develop thereafter, more so after incidents of violence which had erupted following the removal of an Ambedkar statue in Meerut in 1994. The state police, which had a good number from the Yadav caste, came down hard on the protesters and at least two members of the Scheduled Castes died in the firing. More problems arose when the Yadav community protested against the installation of an Ambedkar statue on a plot of land it claimed belonged to the community. The Yadav-Scheduled Caste confrontation led Mayawati to get aggressive, and soon reports began to circulate that she was interfering in the functioning of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government. Then came then infamous guest house incident in mid-1995. By then, political equations had begun to change in Lucknow. The BJP and the BSP had got closer to each other with the latter realising it would have to pull out of the coalition regime to keep its Scheduled caste vote-base intact. Indeed, Mayawati had met the Governor and effectively withdrawn support to the government. All hell broke. Mayawati had summoned a meeting of her legislators at the state guest house in Lucknow to discuss further course of action. Once the meeting was done, the BSP leader was closeted with a few senior leaders for fine-tuning the political strategy. A mob of around 200 SP leaders and supporters attacked the guest house and raised casteist slogans against her and her community. It was followed by more filthy language and threats to kill. Power supply to the guest house was cut off and the mob shouted for Mayawati to be dragged out and taught a lesson. The BSP legislators who came in contact with the mob were brutally assaulted. Two junior police officers came to Mayawati’s rescue. Later the district magistrate of Lucknow and some BJP leaders played important roles in the rescue of the BSP leader. A traumatic Mayawati and her guru Kanshi Ram vowed to never do business with the SP. She soon became chief minister with the BJP’s support. Cut to the present: On Saturday, sharing the stage with SP leader Akhilesh Yadav to announce the renewed partnership between the SP and the BSP and the seat-sharing deal, Mayawati remarked that she was willing to forgive and forget the 1995 incident in the larger interests of the nation (read, to get rid of the Modi government from the Centre). Then, as now, the common factor is the need to counter the BJP. But that’s where the commonality ends. The first difference is that the two leaders who made the alliance possible in 1993 are not in the picture this time around. Kanshi Ram is dead and Mulayam Singh Yadav is a mere bystander in the party which he founded. While both Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav were astute, in the present case Mayawati, now a veteran both in terms of years in politics and mercurial nature, clearly has the edge, whereas Akhilesh Yadav is subdued by his relatively junior status and inexperience. Everybody knows who will call the shots in the post-result scenario if the combine does well, is not a secret. The second difference is that the 1993 alliance had been for Assembly elections, whereas the present one — at least for now — is for the Lok Sabha polls. Then it was Mulayam-Kanshi Ram versus Kalyan Singh of the BJP, who had been deposed as chief minister following the Ayodhya mosque destruction incident. Today it is Akhilesh-Mayawati versus Narendra Modi — a more formidable challenge. The third refers to the political status of the BJP. Then, the BJP was not in power either at the Centre or in the state. Today it’s there in both places. In the 2014 general elections, the party had got 40 per cent of the vote-share in Uttar Pradesh. The SP could manage only five seats while the BSP ended with none. The situation was not much different in the 2017 assembly polls where the SP and the BSP had to bite the dust while the BJP romped home with a huge majority. And yet the SP-BSP combine has reason to feel upbeat. It had tasted blood in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls, and this had proved to be a trigger to explore a formalise alliance between the two parties. There, questions remain: First, will the coalition deliver in 2019? Will it last in case of failure? Will it sustain even after the victory or become victim to ego battles, as had happened in 1995? (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

BSP-SP alliance returns after 25 years; will the coalition deliver in 2019?

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law, Aparna Yadav on Saturday gave her best wishes to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sp-bsp-alliance-how-sworn-enemies-became-friends-again-189880">the newly formed SP-BSP alliance</a> and termed it a major political development.

"It is a very big political development. Its outcome and public mandate will be only clear in future after the 2019 election. In a democracy, the public is everything, they understand everything very well and they will have the last say," said Aparna.

She also added that it is very important for the vision and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/engaged-in-building-anti-bjp-front-mamata-hails-sp-bsp-alliance-in-up-189888">thoughts of both leaders to match</a>. The decisions which have been taken firmly today should be completed in 2019 election, then only the alliance will be successful.

Talking further about Mayawati's statement on Shivpal Yadav, she said, "Political blames are common but such statement should not be made against any particular person. Tomorrow such kind of statement can be made against someone else as well. Such kind of belittling statements must be avoided. I think that one should be careful about making such statements and such things are not right."

During the announcement of seat sharing at a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday, BSP president Mayawati had said that Shivpal Singh Yadav's party is funded by the BJP as a part of an alleged conspiracy to divide votes.

Speaking further about BJP president Amit Shah's remark about SP-BSP alliance she said, "I can only say that despite having BJP government in the state, SP-BSP alliance registered a euphoric win in bye-elections. I feel that it is not right to undermine anyone and it is good to be confident but inappropriate to be overconfident."

Earlier in the day, Shah had slammed the grand alliance of opposition parties, including the alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

'It is a very big political development. Its outcome and public mandate will be only clear in future after the 2019 election,' said Aparna Yadav.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law, Aparna Yadav on Saturday gave her best wishes to the newly formed SP-BSP alliance and termed it a major political development. "It is a very big political development. Its outcome and public mandate will be only clear in future after the 2019 election. In a democracy, the public is everything, they understand everything very well and they will have the last say," said Aparna. She also added that it is very important for the vision and thoughts of both leaders to match. The decisions which have been taken firmly today should be completed in 2019 election, then only the alliance will be successful. Talking further about Mayawati's statement on Shivpal Yadav, she said, "Political blames are common but such statement should not be made against any particular person. Tomorrow such kind of statement can be made against someone else as well. Such kind of belittling statements must be avoided. I think that one should be careful about making such statements and such things are not right." During the announcement of seat sharing at a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday, BSP president Mayawati had said that Shivpal Singh Yadav's party is funded by the BJP as a part of an alleged conspiracy to divide votes. Speaking further about BJP president Amit Shah's remark about SP-BSP alliance she said, "I can only say that despite having BJP government in the state, SP-BSP alliance registered a euphoric win in bye-elections. I feel that it is not right to undermine anyone and it is good to be confident but inappropriate to be overconfident." Earlier in the day, Shah had slammed the grand alliance of opposition parties, including the alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

SP- BSP alliance is a major political development: Mulayam's daughter-in-law

Ahead of the crucial joint press conference by&nbsp;Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati,&nbsp;photographs of both the leaders in the same poster have sprung up in Lucknow.&nbsp;

Besides Akhilesh and Mayawati, the posters also feature senior leaders like BSP All India General Secretary Satish Chandra Misra and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, with a slogan humara kaam bolta hai and Bhajpa ka jhoot bolta hai (Our work speaks, BJP`s lie speaks).

SP and BSP have been in talks for weeks in order to&nbsp;forge an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019. A meeting between the two leaders recently had triggered a lot of speculation about seat-sharing being firmed up.&nbsp;

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SP-BSP posters and party flags seen in Lucknow. Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati will jointly address the media later today <a href="https://t.co/bfxRUVMJcx">pic.twitter.com/bfxRUVMJcx</a>
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The two parties are likely to announce an alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the presser today.

Earlier, senior SP leader Prof Ram Gopal Yadav had said: "Mayawati and Akhilesh will decide with whom the `grand alliance` has to be formed in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

"Everyone knows that there is going to be a grand alliance. In Uttar Pradesh, SP and BSP are the most important parties," he added.

Among all the states, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of 80 Lok Sabha seats out the 543 and plays a crucial role in government formation in the Centre.

(With agency inputs)

Ahead of the crucial joint press conference by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, photographs of both the leaders in the same poster have sprung up in Lucknow.

Ahead of the crucial joint press conference by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, photographs of both the leaders in the same poster have sprung up in Lucknow. Besides Akhilesh and Mayawati, the posters also feature senior leaders like BSP All India General Secretary Satish Chandra Misra and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, with a slogan humara kaam bolta hai and Bhajpa ka jhoot bolta hai (Our work speaks, BJP`s lie speaks). SP and BSP have been in talks for weeks in order to forge an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019. A meeting between the two leaders recently had triggered a lot of speculation about seat-sharing being firmed up. SP-BSP posters and party flags seen in Lucknow. Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati will jointly address the media later today pic.twitter.com/bfxRUVMJcx — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 12, 2019 × The two parties are likely to announce an alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the presser today. Earlier, senior SP leader Prof Ram Gopal Yadav had said: "Mayawati and Akhilesh will decide with whom the `grand alliance` has to be formed in Uttar Pradesh," he said. "Everyone knows that there is going to be a grand alliance. In Uttar Pradesh, SP and BSP are the most important parties," he added. Among all the states, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of 80 Lok Sabha seats out the 543 and plays a crucial role in government formation in the Centre. (With agency inputs)

Ahead of joint press conference, Akhilesh-Mayawati posters spring up in Lucknow

Any grand alliance of Opposition parties against the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will bring in anarchy, corruption and political instability, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Saturday.

"Those who did not like each other are talking about a 'maha gathbandhan'&nbsp;(grand alliance). This is an alliance for corruption, anarchy and political instability," Yogi said as the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party announced their alliance to fight Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP has respected "Ram and roti" through its emphasis on the development of all sections of the society and respect to the faith of the people, Yogi said at the party's national council meeting here.

The UP Chief Minister also attacked the Congress, saying the party furthered the interests of a family, promoted casteism, regionalism and kept the country in limbo for 50 years.

"Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP brought the country out of this state of limbo through welfare schemes for all sections of the society and good governance," he said.

Yogi asserted that in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will perform better than it did in 2014 and a "strong and capable" government under Modi's leadership will be formed again.

"Ask any impartial person -- a rural woman, a soldier, a farmer or youth -- they will all say 'Kaho Dil Se Modi Phir Se' (they will vouch for bringing in Modi once again)."

Listing out the achievements of the Modi government, Yogi said the country has gained confidence under the leadership of the Prime Minister and nationalism, development and good governance have charted a new direction in the four years of his government.

Any grand alliance of Opposition parties against the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will bring in anarchy, corruption and political instability, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Saturday.

Any grand alliance of Opposition parties against the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will bring in anarchy, corruption and political instability, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Saturday. "Those who did not like each other are talking about a 'maha gathbandhan' (grand alliance). This is an alliance for corruption, anarchy and political instability," Yogi said as the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party announced their alliance to fight Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has respected "Ram and roti" through its emphasis on the development of all sections of the society and respect to the faith of the people, Yogi said at the party's national council meeting here. The UP Chief Minister also attacked the Congress, saying the party furthered the interests of a family, promoted casteism, regionalism and kept the country in limbo for 50 years. "Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP brought the country out of this state of limbo through welfare schemes for all sections of the society and good governance," he said. Yogi asserted that in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will perform better than it did in 2014 and a "strong and capable" government under Modi's leadership will be formed again. "Ask any impartial person -- a rural woman, a soldier, a farmer or youth -- they will all say 'Kaho Dil Se Modi Phir Se' (they will vouch for bringing in Modi once again)." Listing out the achievements of the Modi government, Yogi said the country has gained confidence under the leadership of the Prime Minister and nationalism, development and good governance have charted a new direction in the four years of his government.

Grand alliance is for anarchy, corruption, political instability: Yogi Adityanath

Call it political compulsion or an eye on the maximum number of seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the coming together of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party only proves the adage that in politics, there are no permanent friends or foes.&nbsp;

Once-arch rivals Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Saturday announced their tie-up in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bsp-sp-to-contest-38-seats-each-alliance-will-give-sleepless-nights-to-modi-shah-says-mayawati-189793">sharing 38 seats each</a> and keeping the Congress out of the alliance.

The parties, however, said they would not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. They also left two seats, out of 80, for smaller allies.

The parties seem to have forgotten their two-decade-old antagonism for a "political revolution" which they hope would "last long".

"I am moving ahead of the 1995 guesthouse incident in the interest of the country and to serve the people, who are upset with the BJP's 'anti-people' policies," BSP supremo Mayawati said Saturday at a press conference here which was also attended by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.&nbsp;

"The SP-BSP tie-up is a natural alliance. Yeh lamba chaleyga, aagey bhi chaleyga, Lok Sabha chunav ke baad, UP Assembly mein bhi yeh sthayee chalega (This will last long, even beyond LS polls and in UP Assembly elections)," she said, adding it was a "political revolution".

In 1993, SP-BSP had formed an alliance to stop the BJP's winning spree after the Ram temple movement.

Then SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP founder Kanshi Ram had joined hands and succeeded in leaving a mark in the state politics by winning 167 Assembly seats. The BSP had got 67 seats and SP 109.&nbsp;

The alliance, however, did not last and ended in 1995 after the infamous Meera Bai Marg guest house incident wherein SP workers misbehaved with Mayawati.&nbsp;

An unruly mob of SP workers had stormed into the Meerabai Guest House here where Mayawati was huddled in a meeting with her MLAs.

Mayawati's room was vandalised, she was abused and allegedly beaten up. When the BSP MLAs failed to protect her, BJP MLA Brahm Dutt Dwivedi took her out of the guest house to safety. It was then that the BSP joined hands with the BJP to form the government in the state.

The incident had left an indelible mark in the relationship between the two parties. It was said Kanshi Ram made numerous efforts to revive the coalition, but Mayawati held the fort in her opposition to a possible tie-up.

However, 23 years later, it seems Mayawati has moved on.&nbsp;

The BSP-SP came close during the parliamentary by-polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur recently wherein the BSP supported SP candidates who succeeded in winning both the seats - Gorakhpur vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Phulpur by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the SP had won five seats, while the BSP failed to win any seat.&nbsp;

In the 2017 assembly polls, SP and BSP got 22 per cent votes each.

Come to 2019, if both the parties continue to have a say in their traditional vote bank, the combine can create hurdles for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh, there are about 22 per cent Dalits, 45 per cent OBCs and 19 per cent Muslims, whose vote share will be decisive in the general elections this year.&nbsp;

"The SP-BSP alliance will certainly clear the dilemma of Muslim voters who are anti-BJP and with no division of their votes between SP and BSP, our alliance will get their votes in the major chunk," a senior SP leader said.

Commenting on how the new alliance will be a show stealer, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said, "The path of Delhi's power traverses through Uttar Pradesh and our alliance will be able to stop the BJP for sure.&nbsp;

"The alliance with BSP was founded in my heart when the BJP conspired and got BSP candidate Bhim Rao Ambedkar defeated during the Rajya Sabha biennial polls. I had said that if I had to take two steps backwards for the alliance, I will do it," he said, thanking Mayawati.

Although Akhilesh Yadav's estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), claimed that he would emerge as a "strong force" in the polls, Mayawati asked people "not to waste their vote on his (Shivpal's) party funded by the BJP".&nbsp;

"BJP's money will go down the drain as it is running Shivpal's party," she said.&nbsp;Akhilesh, however, did not comment on Shivpal's claim.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Call it political compulsion or an eye on the maximum number of seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the coming together of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party only proves the adage that in politics, there are no permanent friends or foes.

Call it political compulsion or an eye on the maximum number of seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the coming together of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party only proves the adage that in politics, there are no permanent friends or foes. Once-arch rivals Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Saturday announced their tie-up in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, sharing 38 seats each and keeping the Congress out of the alliance. The parties, however, said they would not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. They also left two seats, out of 80, for smaller allies. The parties seem to have forgotten their two-decade-old antagonism for a "political revolution" which they hope would "last long". "I am moving ahead of the 1995 guesthouse incident in the interest of the country and to serve the people, who are upset with the BJP's 'anti-people' policies," BSP supremo Mayawati said Saturday at a press conference here which was also attended by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. "The SP-BSP tie-up is a natural alliance. Yeh lamba chaleyga, aagey bhi chaleyga, Lok Sabha chunav ke baad, UP Assembly mein bhi yeh sthayee chalega (This will last long, even beyond LS polls and in UP Assembly elections)," she said, adding it was a "political revolution". In 1993, SP-BSP had formed an alliance to stop the BJP's winning spree after the Ram temple movement. Then SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP founder Kanshi Ram had joined hands and succeeded in leaving a mark in the state politics by winning 167 Assembly seats. The BSP had got 67 seats and SP 109. The alliance, however, did not last and ended in 1995 after the infamous Meera Bai Marg guest house incident wherein SP workers misbehaved with Mayawati. An unruly mob of SP workers had stormed into the Meerabai Guest House here where Mayawati was huddled in a meeting with her MLAs. Mayawati's room was vandalised, she was abused and allegedly beaten up. When the BSP MLAs failed to protect her, BJP MLA Brahm Dutt Dwivedi took her out of the guest house to safety. It was then that the BSP joined hands with the BJP to form the government in the state. The incident had left an indelible mark in the relationship between the two parties. It was said Kanshi Ram made numerous efforts to revive the coalition, but Mayawati held the fort in her opposition to a possible tie-up. However, 23 years later, it seems Mayawati has moved on. The BSP-SP came close during the parliamentary by-polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur recently wherein the BSP supported SP candidates who succeeded in winning both the seats - Gorakhpur vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Phulpur by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the SP had won five seats, while the BSP failed to win any seat. In the 2017 assembly polls, SP and BSP got 22 per cent votes each. Come to 2019, if both the parties continue to have a say in their traditional vote bank, the combine can create hurdles for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh, there are about 22 per cent Dalits, 45 per cent OBCs and 19 per cent Muslims, whose vote share will be decisive in the general elections this year. "The SP-BSP alliance will certainly clear the dilemma of Muslim voters who are anti-BJP and with no division of their votes between SP and BSP, our alliance will get their votes in the major chunk," a senior SP leader said. Commenting on how the new alliance will be a show stealer, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said, "The path of Delhi's power traverses through Uttar Pradesh and our alliance will be able to stop the BJP for sure. "The alliance with BSP was founded in my heart when the BJP conspired and got BSP candidate Bhim Rao Ambedkar defeated during the Rajya Sabha biennial polls. I had said that if I had to take two steps backwards for the alliance, I will do it," he said, thanking Mayawati. Although Akhilesh Yadav's estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), claimed that he would emerge as a "strong force" in the polls, Mayawati asked people "not to waste their vote on his (Shivpal's) party funded by the BJP". "BJP's money will go down the drain as it is running Shivpal's party," she said. Akhilesh, however, did not comment on Shivpal's claim.

The SP-BSP alliance: How 2 sworn enemies became friends again

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief on Saturday gave a rather cryptic response when he was asked whether he would support BSP chief Mayawati for Prime Minister after&nbsp;2019 Lok Sabha polls.

While addressing a joint press conference Yadav was asked whether he will support Mayawati for PM:&nbsp;"You know who is my choice. Uttar Pradesh has given Prime Ministers in the past and trend will be repeated again," Yadav said.&nbsp;

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Akhilesh Yadav on if he will support Mayawati for PM: You know who is my choice. Uttar Pradesh has given Prime Ministers in the past and trend will be repeated again <a href="https://t.co/LzHs9Ijn6e">pic.twitter.com/LzHs9Ijn6e</a>
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Meanwhile, commenting on the alliance, Congress leader Kamal Nath said there was a need of alliance&nbsp;in the entire country.

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Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SPBSPalliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SPBSPalliance</a>: Today there is a need of alliances in the entire country. BJP got only 31% vote in 2014 and claimed it was people's mandate, this happened due to split in votes. <a href="https://t.co/T97kvcZCzp">pic.twitter.com/T97kvcZCzp</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1083989257805549568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Reacting to the BSP-SP alliance BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the two parties are contesting to save their&nbsp;"political ground".

He said, "Both parties are contesting together just to save their political ground. These parties have blamed each other of murder in the past. Even if all parties come together, we will still win".

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Sudhanshu Trivedi,BJP on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SPBSPalliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SPBSPalliance</a>: Both parties are contesting together just to save their political ground. These parties have blamed each other of murder in the past. Anyway, its their choice.We are confident. Even if all parties come together, we will still win. <a href="https://t.co/Bc6blr4mjH">pic.twitter.com/Bc6blr4mjH</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1083990304401907712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Both SP and BSP workers celebrated the announcement of alliance between the two parties.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief on Saturday gave a rather cryptic response when he was asked whether he would support BSP chief Mayawati for Prime Minister after 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief on Saturday gave a rather cryptic response when he was asked whether he would support BSP chief Mayawati for Prime Minister after 2019 Lok Sabha polls. While addressing a joint press conference Yadav was asked whether he will support Mayawati for PM: "You know who is my choice. Uttar Pradesh has given Prime Ministers in the past and trend will be repeated again," Yadav said. Akhilesh Yadav on if he will support Mayawati for PM: You know who is my choice. Uttar Pradesh has given Prime Ministers in the past and trend will be repeated again pic.twitter.com/LzHs9Ijn6e — ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2019 × Meanwhile, commenting on the alliance, Congress leader Kamal Nath said there was a need of alliance in the entire country. Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath on #SPBSPalliance: Today there is a need of alliances in the entire country. BJP got only 31% vote in 2014 and claimed it was people's mandate, this happened due to split in votes. pic.twitter.com/T97kvcZCzp — ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2019 × Reacting to the BSP-SP alliance BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the two parties are contesting to save their "political ground". He said, "Both parties are contesting together just to save their political ground. These parties have blamed each other of murder in the past. Even if all parties come together, we will still win". Sudhanshu Trivedi,BJP on #SPBSPalliance: Both parties are contesting together just to save their political ground. These parties have blamed each other of murder in the past. Anyway, its their choice.We are confident. Even if all parties come together, we will still win. pic.twitter.com/Bc6blr4mjH — ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2019 × Both SP and BSP workers celebrated the announcement of alliance between the two parties.

'You know who is my choice,' says Akhilesh on whether he will support Mayawati for PM

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will address a joint press briefing in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow&nbsp;tomorrow, reported news agency ANI.

Mayawati and Akhilesh are expected to announce the alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in May during the presser.

Akhilesh and Mayawati have been holding talks for several weeks and the two leaders meeting in Delhi last week raised a lot of talk over reports that the two had decided on an alliance leaving the Congress out&nbsp;of the equation.

The alliance between the two major regional parties may challenge BJP's domination in the state where it&nbsp;won whopping 73 seats out of 80 in 2014 polls.&nbsp;

Last year, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati buried their differences and contested three bypolls and won all.&nbsp;

If they replicate their success in the 2019 national polls, BJP's hopes of returning to power at&nbsp;the Centre will face a major test.&nbsp;

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Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav to address a joint press briefing in Lucknow, tomorrow <a href="https://t.co/iUPzVTyprp">pic.twitter.com/iUPzVTyprp</a>
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&nbsp;

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will address a joint press briefing in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow tomorrow, reported news agency ANI.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will address a joint press briefing in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow tomorrow, reported news agency ANI. Mayawati and Akhilesh are expected to announce the alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in May during the presser. Akhilesh and Mayawati have been holding talks for several weeks and the two leaders meeting in Delhi last week raised a lot of talk over reports that the two had decided on an alliance leaving the Congress out of the equation. The alliance between the two major regional parties may challenge BJP's domination in the state where it won whopping 73 seats out of 80 in 2014 polls. Last year, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati buried their differences and contested three bypolls and won all. If they replicate their success in the 2019 national polls, BJP's hopes of returning to power at the Centre will face a major test. Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav to address a joint press briefing in Lucknow, tomorrow pic.twitter.com/iUPzVTyprp — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 11, 2019 ×

Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav to hold joint press conference tomorrow, may announce alliance for Lok Sabha polls

BSP Chief Mayawati on Tuesday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cabinet-approves-10-quota-for-economically-weak-among-upper-castes-188798">welcomed the reservation </a>announced by the Centre for economically weaker sections of the upper caste.&nbsp;

However, she called the move a 'political stunt.'

"The decision taken by the Central government is good but the intention behind the decision seems to be not good. It looks more of a political stunt as it has come just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. It would have been better had the government taken the decision earlier," Mayawati, in an exclusive interview, told ANI.

The BSP supremo was referring to the announcement made on Tuesday by the Narendra Modi-led government of giving 10 per cent r<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-corners-centre-over-general-category-quota-188911">eservation to upper caste poor</a> in jobs and education.

The former UP CM stressed that the reservation should also be extended to the poor, who belong to the various minority religious groups.

"Reservation to the poor, tribals, Dalits should not be confined to education sector or jobs but also other sectors in which till now it has not been introduced," she added.

Mayawati also demanded that the Centre should chalk out a new reservation policy for the backwards and poor after taking note of their increasing population.

"I also demand that the reservation for SC, ST, and OBC should be increased to 50%, considering their increasing population," stressed Mayawati.

The former UP CM stressed that the reservation should also be extended to the poor, who belong to the various minority religious groups.

BSP Chief Mayawati on Tuesday welcomed the reservation announced by the Centre for economically weaker sections of the upper caste. However, she called the move a 'political stunt.' "The decision taken by the Central government is good but the intention behind the decision seems to be not good. It looks more of a political stunt as it has come just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. It would have been better had the government taken the decision earlier," Mayawati, in an exclusive interview, told ANI. The BSP supremo was referring to the announcement made on Tuesday by the Narendra Modi-led government of giving 10 per cent reservation to upper caste poor in jobs and education. The former UP CM stressed that the reservation should also be extended to the poor, who belong to the various minority religious groups. "Reservation to the poor, tribals, Dalits should not be confined to education sector or jobs but also other sectors in which till now it has not been introduced," she added. Mayawati also demanded that the Centre should chalk out a new reservation policy for the backwards and poor after taking note of their increasing population. "I also demand that the reservation for SC, ST, and OBC should be increased to 50%, considering their increasing population," stressed Mayawati.

10% reservation for upper caste poor a 'political stunt': BSP chief Mayawati

Virtually putting the Congress-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on notice, the BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said she might have to "reconsider" her party's outside support to them if cases against "innocent" persons framed in Bharat Bandh on April 2 were not withdrawn.

"If the newly-elected governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan do not act swiftly and withdraw the cases against the innocent persons framed in Bharat Bandh, the BSP may have to reconsider extending the outside support to the Congress governments," she said in a hard-hitting&nbsp; 
press release here.

Mayawati said the cases against the innocent people framed out of political and caste considerations in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states including MP and Rajasthan, which were previously under the BJP.

She said now that MP and Rajasthan are ruled by the Congress, the new governments should immediately withdraw such cases, failing which her party would have to reconsider its decision of extending outside support.

The BSP has two members in Madhya Pradesh's 230-member assembly, while in Rajasthan her party has six seats in the House of 200 MLAs.

The BSP extended outside support to the Congress to form governments in these two states as it had failed to reach majority on its own.

Mayawati also said the governments formed by the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan should not work like the BJP, which did not fulfil its promises made to the farmers and the unemployed.

"The warning to the Congress is necessary, as now merely making announcements is not enough. People are of the view that in making promises on papers, the Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. Now, it depends on the Congress whether it is able to change this perception," she said in the statement.

She said had the Centre left its "stubborn" behaviour pertaining to triple talaq bill, 2018, and sent it to the joint select committee of Parliament as demanded by the entire Opposition, it would have been better.

The BSP chief said in the past five years, there have been non-fulfilment of promises, and by showing dreams of 'achchey din', demonetisation and GST have been implemented in an immature manner.

Virtually putting the Congress-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on notice, the BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said she might have to "reconsider" her party's outside support to them if cases against "innocent" persons framed in Bharat Bandh on April 2 were not withdrawn.

Virtually putting the Congress-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on notice, the BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said she might have to "reconsider" her party's outside support to them if cases against "innocent" persons framed in Bharat Bandh on April 2 were not withdrawn. "If the newly-elected governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan do not act swiftly and withdraw the cases against the innocent persons framed in Bharat Bandh, the BSP may have to reconsider extending the outside support to the Congress governments," she said in a hard-hitting press release here. Mayawati said the cases against the innocent people framed out of political and caste considerations in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states including MP and Rajasthan, which were previously under the BJP. She said now that MP and Rajasthan are ruled by the Congress, the new governments should immediately withdraw such cases, failing which her party would have to reconsider its decision of extending outside support. The BSP has two members in Madhya Pradesh's 230-member assembly, while in Rajasthan her party has six seats in the House of 200 MLAs. The BSP extended outside support to the Congress to form governments in these two states as it had failed to reach majority on its own. Mayawati also said the governments formed by the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan should not work like the BJP, which did not fulfil its promises made to the farmers and the unemployed. "The warning to the Congress is necessary, as now merely making announcements is not enough. People are of the view that in making promises on papers, the Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. Now, it depends on the Congress whether it is able to change this perception," she said in the statement. She said had the Centre left its "stubborn" behaviour pertaining to triple talaq bill, 2018, and sent it to the joint select committee of Parliament as demanded by the entire Opposition, it would have been better. The BSP chief said in the past five years, there have been non-fulfilment of promises, and by showing dreams of 'achchey din', demonetisation and GST have been implemented in an immature manner.

Might have to reconsider support to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan govts: Mayawati

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