Anxious SP, Congress stopping BSP in its tracks to continue reign of plunder: Bhadauria

A senior leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Wednesday claimed that an anxious Samajwadi party and Congress party are keen to stop his party in the 2017 assembly election polls, because they want to continue their reign of plunder.

"Samajwadi party, Congress and BJP are anxious from the growing power and popularity of BSP in Uttar Pradesh and because of that they are getting together. Their intention is not to work for the welfare of the people but is to plunder and hence they will not get support from the public," BSP leader Sudheendra Bhadauria told ANI.

Bhadauria said both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have lost ground and the people of Uttar Pradesh are aware of the facts.

Bhadauria statement came after Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh met Congress election strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday, apparently to discuss the possibility of forming an alliance before poll dates are announced.

Last week, Mulayam's younger brother and state Samajwadi Party chief Shivpal Singh had met JD(U)'s K. C. Tyagi and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh to invite them to the party's 25th anniversary in Lucknow on November 5.

Shivpal had said Lohiaites and followers of Charan Singh should join hands to beat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

The Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihar's grand alliance, had walked out after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there.

The grand alliance of the JD (U), RJD and Congress scripted a glorious electoral victory last year defeating the BJP-led NDA.

Shivpal had recently blamed his estranged cousin Ram Gopal Yadav for the Samajwadi Party's decision to walk out of the alliance in Bihar.