Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha by-polls in Phulphur and Gorakhpur are likely to be a two-way contest as the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) will not be fielding any candidates. BSP supremo Mayawati told ANI that her party will not be contesting to ensure a BJP loss in bypolls. However, she also clarified that this does not mean that she has allied with Samajwadi Party.
I want to clarify that BSP has not allied with any political party. All rumors about BSP & SP alliance in UP for 2019 Lok Sabha elctions are false and baseless: Mayawati, BSP chief in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/xLggZDWijO
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018
Mayawati told that her party members would exercise their vote to defeat BJP.
We have not floated any candidate for Lok Sabha Phulpur & Gorakhpur by-polls. Our party members will exercise their vote to defeat BJP candidate: Mayawati, BSP chief in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/FubsWfsyXF
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018
She clarified that BSP and SP would also co-operate in Vidhan Parishad and Rajya Sabha elections by transferring votes to each other. However, she did not reveal the exact details.
UP mein haal hi mein Rajya Sabha aur Vidhan Parishad mein hone wale chunaav mein BJP ko harane ke liye SP aur BSP ke dwara ek dusre ko vote transfer kar diya jata hai toh yeh koi chunavi gathbandhan nahi: BSP Chief Mayawati pic.twitter.com/JLVHfmgBfs
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018
A zonal coordinator of the BSP told ANI that his party workers wanted to eliminate BJP.
Our workers want to eliminate BJP & that is why the members of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have decided to extend support & vote for Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Nagendra Singh Patel in Phulpur by-poll: Ashok Gautam, BSP Zonal Coordinator, Allahabad pic.twitter.com/R2vRFY6Lx5
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party politician Sunil Singh Yadav clarified that BSP will not be contesting the upcoming by-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur.
All I know is BSP does not contest by-elections. At both places where by-elections are being held, SP will give a strong fight to defeat the BJP: Sunil Singh Yadav, SP on reports of BSP support to SP for #Gorakhpur & #Phulpur by-elections pic.twitter.com/jUWwmI7ija
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018
The tacit understanding between two parties has been necessitated by the rapid growth of BJP in the state assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh held in 2017. The bypolls are being conducted because Keshav Prasad Maurya, current deputy CM of UP and Yogi Adityanath, the CM of UP have vacated their Lok Sabha seats after taking over their new positions. The by-poll will be held on March 11.
