SP, BSP tie-up for by-polls an act of desperation, says BJP leader

The BJP on Monday said the "tie-up" between the SP and the BSP for the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-elections in Uttar Pradesh was a "deal for personal gains" and an act of desperation as people had discarded both parties.

Though Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati yesterday ruled out an alliance with the Samajwadi Party, she said her party's workers would work for a candidate that could defeat the BJP.

Local BSP leaders in Gorakhpur and Phulpur have also formally announced their support to SP candidates.

"Their tie-up is an act of desperation as they are discarded by the people. Their deal is for personal gains and they have nothing to do with the interests of common people," senior BJP leader and cabinet minister Srikant Sharma said here.

He added that the people of the state are "politically mature" and would once again discard the casteism and nepotism practised by the SP and the BSP.

"The deal is for Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha seats. The people of the state will give them befitting reply for this deal by electing BJP candidates in both Phulpur and Gorakhpur," Sharma said.

The BJP's ideology is "sabka saath sabka vikas" and the people of the country have understood that only this party could work for them, he said.

"BSP has not fielded any candidate from Phulpur and Gorakhpur, but this does not mean that party workers will not cast their votes. They will, in fact, exercise their voting rights appropriately...As per my earlier directives, the BSP workers will vote for a candidate who will be in a position to defeat the BJP, and there is nothing wrong in it," Mayawati had said yesterday.

She also said the SP and BSP could help each other in the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections.

By-polls to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats will be held on March 11. While the Gorakhpur seat was vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated the Phulpur seat after the UP Assembly elections last year.