Can fight LS poll, if needed from UP, says Mayawati

Hinting at her Prime Ministerial ambitions, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said that she can enter the parliament from Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar constituency, "if and when needed".

Addressing a poll rally here, Mayawati, while not directly saying that she was in the race to become the Prime Minister, said: "If all goes well, then I will also have to fight the election. The road to Delhi politics passes through Ambedkar Nagar."

While the Ambedkar Nagar constituency came up only in 2008, Mayawati had been elected four times -- 1989, 1998, 1999, and 2004 -- from the erstwhile Akbarpur constituency.

The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo also seemed happy with a giant cut-out of her at the rally venue, showing her standing outside the Parliament house and captioned "Prime Minister".

Asking people to vote for her party's candidate Ritesh Pandy, Mayawati said: "These elections will see the exit of those who chant 'Namo, Namo' and the victory of those who chant 'Jai Bhim'."

Mayawati, who had earlier announced that she would be staying out of the Lok Sabha elections this time, had also said that she could contest later, if required, from any seat held by her party.

--IANS

hindi-vd/arm