BSP to support Congress in Madhya Pradesh says Mayawati

Still two short of a simple majority to form a government in Madhya Pradesh, Congress on Wednesday breathing easy with BSP chief Mayawati announcing the support of her party’s two MLAs to it.

Hours before Congress meeting Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel to stake claim to form the government, Mayawati announced that despite her differences with the ideology of Congress, her party will support it in government formation as people have voted against the saffron party and the primary objective is to stop the march of BJP.

Congress, which has already won 114 of 230 assembly seats in a nail-biting electoral contest, can now relax as Samajwadi Party, which has won one seat, has also announced its intent to support them. In total, Congress will have 117 legislators supporting its bid to power.

Besides, all the four independents are either Congress rebels or were somehow connected well with the party.

After this, the option of Governor Anandiben Patel, who was formerly BJP Chief Minister of Gujarat, is further limited as the general norm anyway is to invite the single largest party to form a government if there was no pre-poll alliance.

BJP, which has won 109 seats was also asserting that it has the backing of independents and will stake claim to form government hours after Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath last night wrote to Governor staking claim to form the government.

Mayawati’s assertion could be dampening for BJP.

“Our party fought the election to keep BJP out of power. People in Madhya Pradesh have rejected the BJP in these elections but BJP is still trying to form a government. So despite not agreeing with the ideology of Congress, BSP has decided to support it for government formation in Madhya Pradesh. If Congress requires BJP is ready to support Congress in government formation even in Rajasthan to checkmate the BJP,” Mayawati said.

BSP has won two assembly seats each in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and six seats in Rajasthan.

While Congress has won over a two-thirds majority in 68 out of 90 seats Chhattisgarh, it has won 99 of 199 seats in Rajasthan.