Mayawati allies with Ajit Jogi’s party for Chhattisgarh assembly elections

RAIPUR/ NEW DELHI: In a blow to opposition unity ahead of the assembly elections later this year, BSP announced on Thursday a tie-up with Congress rebel Ajit Jogi in Chhattisgarh and ramped up pressure on Congress to accept its terms in Madhya Pradesh by unilaterally declaring a list of 22 candidates.Making the announcement, Mayawati said Jogi would be the alliance’s candidate for Chhattisgarh CM, a development that can potentially give an edge to BJP given the overlap between the new alliance and Congress’s support base in a state where elections have run very close.The BSP chief also announced a list of 22 candidates for MP but unlike in Chhattisgarh where Congress seems reconciled to going it alone, the main opposition sees the announcement as a bargaining ploy rather than the intent to contest on its own. The elections in Chhattisgarh, MP, Rajasthan Mizoram and possibly Telangana are important because the outcome, coming before the Lok Sabha polls, has the potential to be read as a moodsetter for the main contest.The BSP chief has been pressing Congress for seats in the major BJP-ruled states and also hinted at shares in other states when the Lok Sabha polls are held. Irrespective of whether Mayawati goes with Congress in Madhya Pradesh, the twin announcements can have repercussions beyond the two neighbouring states in central India because they, political circles believe, reflect Mayawati’s desire to drive a hard bargain for seats for the Lok Sabha and state polls.BSP general secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh, Ramachal Rajbhar, told TOI that Mayawati had decided to field BSP candidates in all 230 assembly seats in the state.“BSP has declared the names of 22 candidates today and the remaining 208 candidates for the assembly elections will be announced before October 5,” Rajbhar said. Over the past four months, Congress has been asserting that a pre-poll alliance was on the cards with a deal for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections likely too.