Mayawati may be projected as BSP’s PM face, party likely to discuss alliance

NEW DELHI: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati is likely to be projected as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections even though the party did not win even a single seat in the lower house of Parliament in the last general elections. The decision on the same is likely to be taken on Saturday when the BSP national executive committee meets.

The party is also likely to evaluate the possibility of a pre-poll alliance with the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections in BJP-governed Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The BSP chief has spent the last few weeks in Delhi strategising for the upcoming state elections and finalising the list of candidates.

The BSP has been trying to move out of Uttar Pradesh and make a mark on a national level. The efforts were evident when the BSP joined hands with the Janata Dal Secular for pre-poll alliance in Karnataka and bagged one seat in the state.

Mayawati was in Bengaluru this week when alliance partner JDS formed the government with Congress’s support.

She attended the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy where most of the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were in attendance. United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also among those present at the ceremony.

Among the images of the opposition unity, the pictures of the two ladies – Mayawati and Sonia Gandhi – seemed to be the most interesting of all. The evident warmth between the leaders seemed to be a strong indication of a possible alliance in the coming months.

Not just Sonia, her son and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was also seen talking animatedly with Mayawati. Mayawati and Sonia Gandhi held each other’s arms as Rahul watched them. There have been reports that the Congress has already reached out to Mayawati for an alliance in the three states but the BSP is yet to share her thoughts with them.

Mayawati was also spotted on the dais with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The bua-bhatija were seen shaking hands and smiling while sitting next to each other. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee also approached Mayawati at the ceremony and spoke for a while. All the leaders present at the event, posed for a photograph holding each other’s hands – giving the perfect moment to showcase how the entire opposition stood united against the saffron party.