Cong, BJP have tacit understanding: Mayawati

Hitting out at both the BJP and the Congress, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the two national parties of having a tacit understanding in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls and unitedly working against the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

Congressmen think it is not a problem if the candidates of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win the electoral battle, but the nominees of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance should not win the polls, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged.

"Like the BJP, the Congress has started saying absurd things about the SP-BSP alliance. It is clear that both (Congress, BJP) have a tacit understanding and are contesting against our alliance unitedly," Mayawati said, while appealing to the voters not to waste their votes by supporting the Congress.

Addressing a poll rally in Barabanki on Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the control of Mayawati and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav was in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"In the last five years, did the SP or the BSP take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly? Did you hear any statement from Mayawati or (SP patriarch) Mulayam Singh Yadav? See, I am not scared of Modi. I do not care. If someone is scared, it is Narendra Modi. But the control of Mayawati and Akhilesh is in the hands of Modi," he had said.

Attacking the prime minister, Mayawati said, "He has made some comments on the BSP, taking the name of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. I want to tell him that Baba Saheb's name might be for vote politics and self-interest for them, but he is the soul of the BSP. The BSP does not practice the politics of 'Ramnaam japna, janta ko thagna' (taking the name of Ram and duping people) like the BJP."
Stating that Mulayam Singh Yadav blessing Modi in Parliament was due to his "old age", Mayawati said, "He never intends to bless Modi and this is known to all."