Mayawati says BSP to maintain 'complete distance' from both NDA and I.N.D.I.A bloc

The BSP supremo also party officer bearers to not pay heed to what she termed as 'fake news'.

Virtually pouring cold waters on efforts by some opposition parties, especially Congress to bring her into their fold, BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday made it clear that her party would keep equal distance from both NDA and the grand opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) and would go into next Lok Sabha polls alone.

Addressing a meeting of the party office bearers from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand here, Mayawati also asked them not to pay heed to what she termed ''fake news'' that the BSP might ally with the opposition alliance or the NDA in next year's Parliamentary elections.

"We will maintain equal distance from NDA and I.N.D.I.A and focus on strengthening our party organisation....we will contest the next general elections on our own,'' Mayawati told the BSP functionaries.

''Our rivals have been spreading rumours that BSP will ally with them.....it's fake news,'' she said.

Mayawati's remarks were a setback to the grand opposition alliance, which was looking to face the BJP unitedly in the next year's LS polls. Maaywati's absence might pose problems before the opposition alliance especially in states like Uttar Pradesh, where she still wielded influence over the Dalits.

Mayawati said that the common people had been facing several problems in the BJP and Congress ruled states. ''There are problems like poor road conditions, law and order, lack of clean drinking water, health facilities....people are suffering but it is difficult to say if they will become election issues,'' she remarked.

The BSP supremo also said that attempts were being made to dilute the constitutional provisions giving reservation to the SC/ST and OBC.

She also slammed the Yogi Adityanath government in the state for indiscriminately using bulldozers to raze houses of the people even before their guilt was established by the courts.''Such a step is anti-people,'' she said.