Lucknow: In a politically significant indication that she was not averse to an alliance with I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday asked the grand opposition alliance members to refrain from "unnecessary comments" on her party as well as other opposition parties, which were not part of the I.N.D.I.A saying that they (grand opposition alliance) might need help of the BSP in future.
"Bhavishya mein deshhit mein kab kisko kisi ki bhi jaroorat pad jaye... kuch bhi nahin kaha ja sakta hai (one cannot talk about the future... when one may need the help of others in public interest and in the interest of the country)," Mayawati said at a press conference.
The BSP supremo referred to her party's alliance with arch rival Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The political pundits had never expected the two arch rivals to join hands given the animosity between their top leaders, Mayawati and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.
"SP is an example in this respect.... one may have to cut a sorry figure if any thing of the sort happens," she added.
Mayawati's remarks came amid reports that SP president Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Choudhary's objections to including the BSP in the I.N.D.I.A bloc during the latter's meeting in Delhi.
Akhilesh had reportedly asked the Congress to make its stand clear on the BSP and state if it was in favour of bringing the BSP into the grand opposition alliance.
The BSP supremo sought to tread a middle path on the suspension of around 150 MPs from the Parliament and said that while the suspension was unfortunate the alleged mimicry of the Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar was equally condemnable.
Mayawati said that her was not not against the newly constructed Ram Temple and its inauguration as BSP was a secular party.
The BSP leader's remarks on the I.N.D.I.A alliance came after she reiterated on a number of occasions that her party was firm on its decision to go it alone in the next Lok Sabha polls, scheduled to be held in 2024, and not to have a tie with any party other than some smaller regional outfits in some states.
"The political situation in the country is changing very fast owing to the anti-people policies being pursued by the BJP and Congress and in such a situation BSP will play a crucial role in the elections," she added.