Mayawati asks K’taka unit to stay away from Congress

Hinting that the BSP is unlikely to forge an alliance with Congress in coming Lok Sabha polls, BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday asked the party's Karnataka unit to stay away from Congress.

Mayawati, who chaired a meeting with BSP Karnataka leaders here, is learnt to have said since the BSP has decided to fight against the Congress at national level by in coming Assembly polls, the same stand would continue in state level in coming Lok Sabha elections also.

In an hour-long meeting, however, the BSP supremo said her party's alliance with Janata Dal (S) will continue even for Lok Sabha polls sources in the party told DH.

Emerging out of the meeting, Kollegal BSP MLA and former minister N Mahesh said Mayawati asked the state leaders to focus on building the organisation across the state and fight against both Congress and BJP will continue.

"Partnership with JD (S) will continue and we will support the government on all its decisions," he said.

In the meeting, which was attended by around 20 leaders, Mayawati said the leaders should build the party with new vigor, he said.

Mahesh, who resigned to H D Kumaraswamy's Cabinet recently on the direction of Mayawati, said he would not contest coming Lok Sabha polls.

Though Congress has been holding talks with BSP on seat sharing in Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, it collapsed as both the parties failed to arrive at an understanding. Following this, Mayawati announced that her party would contest all Assembly polls in MP by forging alliance with smaller regional parties instead of begging seats with bigger party  - in an apparent dig at Congress.

While Congress still hoping to forge an alliance with BSP in next year's Lok Sabha polls as part of its plan to form an grand alliance to defeat BJP, the BSP is yet to reveal its plan.