Putting to rest all the speculations, the BSP Supremo Mayawati has finally announced to contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the Samajwadi Party. The BSP will also urge the Congress and other like-minded parties in Uttar Pradesh to join hands against the BJP. Combined vote share of BSP and SP can give sleepless nights to BJP as the saffron party would need to devise a new strategy to come out victorious in the elections.

The announcement came after BSP Supremo held a crucial meeting of BSP zonal coordinators in Lucknow. It was unanimously decided during the meeting that the BSP should contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the Samajwadi Party and rope in support from the Congress and other political outfits and groups to defeat the BJP.

“The BSP has decided to contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the Samajwadi Party. We will also ask the Congress and other parties to come together and defeat the communal forces in the next Lok Sabha polls,” declared Mayawati after the Zonal Coordinators meeting.

She alleged that due to fear of losing in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP was trying to wedge a divide between the BSP and SP. Both the political parties will not allow them to succeed in their plan, she added.

The BSP Supremo has directed all Zonal coordinators to launch the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. She also discussed the seat-sharing formula with the Zonal coordinators but did not make any announcement in this regard.

“We have left the seat-sharing issue with Behenji (as she is popularly called by BSP cadre). She will take a final decision on seat-sharing in after reaching a broad understanding with the Samajwadi Party,” said Lalji Verma, a senior BJP leader.

Verma disclosed that all the Zonal coordinators have been asked to pass on the message of Behenji that the BSP will contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. “The main aim of this exercise is to create bonhomie between voters of the two political parties ahead of Lok Sabha polls,” he pointed.

The BSP Supremo will hold talks with the SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav shortly to discuss seat-sharing formula and bringing Congress also under the alliance. Besides, the BSP Supremo will also discuss the district-wise joint BSP-SP coordination committee to launch joint campaigns against the BJP.