Yogi seeks to drive wedge between SP, BSP, cautions Maya on alliance

Hailing BJP's victory in the Rajya Sabha biennial polls from Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday sought to drive a wedge between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP, which were mulling an alliance against the saffron party, ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

Speaking to reporters here, Adityanath held the SP responsible for the defeat of the lone BSP RS nominee Bhimrao Ambedkar and cautioned BSP supremo Mayawati against forging alliance with the SP.

"The results of the RS polls have exposed the opportunistic face of the SP," he said.

"SP doosron se le to sakti hai par de nahin sakti (SP can take from others but it cannot give to the others)," Adityanath said, apparently referring to the support extended by the BSP to the SP in the recently held Lok Sabha bypolls in Phulpur and Gorakhpur, where SP had emerged victorious.

"Ye sabak hai ki khain mein girne se pehle ka (it's a lesson before falling in the ditch)," he said, apparently cautioning Mayawati against joining hands with SP in the next general elections.

BSP leader Lalji Verma, however, alleged that the polls had been rigged. "The vote of one of our MLAs was declared invalid illegally," Verma said.

He also accused the BJP of using "money and muscle power" to force opposition MLAs to vote in its favour.