lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Apr 19, 2019 13:46 IST

Mayawati, Bahujan Samaj Party chief, sat between Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party on stage in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri on Friday, scripting a big moment in their new relationship after 24 years of bitter political rivalry. Mayawati and Mulayam Singh had last shared stage in 1995.

Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati arrived for a joint rally of the grand-alliance in Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. In his address, Mulayam Singh Yadav thanked Mayawati for attending the rally in support of his candidature.

“I am thankful to Mayawati and would remain obliged to her for coming here to seek vote for me,” said Mulayam Singh, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Mainpuri.

“Always extend respect to Mayawatiji because she has always stood by us in the times of need. I am happy she has come here to seek vote for me,” Mulayam Singh told his party workers.

Mayawati, on her part, referred to “2 June 1995 guest house incident” when the party workers of the Samajwadi Party had allegedly attacked the campus where the BSP chief was camping with her supporters after withdrawing support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav government of Uttar Pradesh.

“There is no message in it (coming together at one stage). He (Mulayam Singh) has given representation to every section of society in the Samajwadi Party. He is not a fake backward community member. Mulayamji is from real backward, has always been from the backward community unlike PM Modi,” said Mayawati seeking vote for the veteran SP leader.

She said the BSP joined hands with the Samajwadi Party with the objective of “defeating the BJP” in the Lok Sabha elections. After remaining at loggerheads with the SP for over two decades, Mayawati asked her party workers to shun their differences and work for the victory of the alliance in the state.

The BSP, the SP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal of former Union minister Ajit Singh are in alliance for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh. The grand-alliance have fielded their candidates at 78 of 80 parliamentary seats of the state leaving out Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies, from where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are contesting respectively.