Maya shuts door on Congress, rules out alliance

Ending speculations about the entry of the Congress in the Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday shut the doors on the grand old party categorically ruling out an alliance with it anywhere in the country.

''We will not have alliance with the Congress anywhere in the country...we will not be seeking their help...we will consider if they (Congress) seek our help,'' Mayawati told in a meeting of her party office bearers here.

She exuded confidence that the 'mahagathbandhan' in UP would ''defeat'' the BJP.

''Our alliance with SP is based on mutual respect....its a perfect alliance and it has the capability to defeat the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls,'' Mayawati said.

She said that several parties had evinced interest in allying with the BSP in the forthcoming polls. ''Many parties want to have alliance with us in different parts of the country....we can not, however, compromise on our principles and will never do anything that hurts our movement,'' she said.

Mayawati asked the party leaders to co-ordinate with the SP leaders in their respective constituencies and ensure that there were no differences.

She asked the party leaders to hold joint rallies in their areas and cautioned them against the ''designs'' of the rival parties.

Earlier there were speculations that Congress was in talks with SP and that the grand old party might be included in the alliance in UP.