Lok Sabha elections: Mayawati confirms she will not contest polls
What's the story
Ending speculations, BSP Chief Mayawati announced on Wednesday she won't be contesting Lok Sabha elections saying it was more important to defeat BJP than for her to win a seat.
Mayawati said she was confident she would win from any seat but there are other things on her plate.
While she won't contest polls, Mayawati will campaign for SP-BSP.
Here's more.
Announcement
Resigned from Rajya Sabha to keep movement alive: Mayawati
Mayawati said she knew once she files her nomination from any seat, her party workers will "take care of rest".
She reminded that she resigned from Rajya Sabha to keep the movement alive and considering the current political scenario, she took the decision.
"It is more important for us to win more seats than for me to win one," she said.
Alliance
SP and BSP will fight elections together
To recall, burying decades of animosity, Mayawati stitched a pre-poll alliance with SP to defeat BJP in Lok Sabha elections. As per the arrangement, BSP will field candidates from 38 seats and SP from 37.
In the last parliamentary elections, BSP failed to win even one seat from the politically-volatile state.
UP sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha.
Campaign
Mayawati will seek votes for former rival Mulayam Singh Yadav
The 2019 elections will see many firsts. In a few weeks from now, Mayawati will seek votes for her former arch-rival Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP.
On April 19, Mayawati will address a rally in Mainpuri, the constituency from where SP patriarch Mulayam has been fielded.
She will also campaign for Dimple Yadav in Kannauj, Akshya Yadav in Firozabad, and Dharmendra Yadav in Badaun.
Congress
Congress "left" seats for SP-BSP but the move backfired
Recently, Congress, which was snubbed in the alliance, announced it won't field candidates from seven seats currently held or being contested by key leaders of SP-BSP.
Congress' decision reciprocated that of SP-BSP, which had earlier said they will not field candidates from Amethi and Raebareli, the seats held by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi respectively.
However, Congress' stand backfired and miffed Mayawati.
Details
Stop spreading confusion, Mayawati told Congress
An angry Mayawati asked Congress to not spread confusion. "Congress must not deliberately spread confusion of leaving seven seats," Mayawati said.
Another SP leader said Congress' decision was not new. "There was always an unsaid understanding between SP and Congress not to put up candidates on each other's family seats," the leader told ET.
Already on the backfoot, Congress' actions aren't helping the party.