Mayawati accuses BJP of misusing govt machinery in UP mayoral polls

A day after results of the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh were announced, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati Sunday accused the ruling BJP of misusing government machinery, and said her party will not sit silently over it.

The BJP on Saturday swept the mayoral elections, winning the posts in all the 17 municipal corporations in Varanasi, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Jhansi, Bareilly, Mathura-Vrindavan, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Agra, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Firozabad and Meerut.

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In a series of tweets in Hindi on Sunday, Mayawati said, "The BSP is not going to sit silently over the BJP's misuse of government machinery."

She also accused the ruling party of using any means ('saam', 'daam', 'dand', 'bhed') at its disposal, and said, "When the time comes, the BJP will definitely face the consequences."

Thanking people for extending support to her party, the BSP chief said, "Gratitude and thanks to the people for reposing faith in the BSP and voting for its candidates despite facing a host of adverse circumstances. Had this election been free and fair, the results would have been something else. If the mayoral elections were conducted using ballot papers, the BSP would had won."

The BSP had fielded mayor candidates on all the 17 seats in the state but none could register a win.

"Whether it's the BJP or the SP, both parties are equally adept at winning elections through misuse of power. This is why the ruling party often manages to secure more seats through manipulation, and this election was no different. It is a matter of great concern," Mayawati added.