BSP Supremo Mayawati addressing a press conference at her official residence in Lucknow on Saturday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav) BSP Supremo Mayawati addressing a press conference at her official residence in Lucknow on Saturday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

After the loss in Friday’s Rajya Sabha elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday suspended its MLA Anil Singh for cross-voting in favour of BJP “to serve his business interest”. BSP’s candidate Bhimrao Ambedkar lost to BJP’s Anil Kumar Agarwal owing to the cross-voting.

Reacting to the loss of the BSP candidate, party chief Mayawati said BJP’s victory was a result of malpractices and the voting was influenced by creating an environment of fear. She further claimed that BJP was attempting to break the SP-BSP alliance but will not succeed in doing so.

“BJP did not deter from indulging in malpractices. They exerted all their force to ensure that the BSP candidate does not win at any cost. The entire system was deployed to ensure that the newly formed ties between BSP and SP loosen,” ANI quoted the BSP chief as saying.

Taking on BJP chief Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi for the alleged cross-voting that took place yesterday, Mayawati said, “We share the same views on yesterday’s result just like anyone else. We believe Narendra Modi and Amit Shah used the system to make their candidates win. An environment of fear was created due to which there was also some cross-voting done.”

Read | Rajya Sabha Elections Result 2018: In UP, BJP gets nine on nine, BSP draws blank

Asserting that the SP-BSP alliance was aimed at preventing another “blot on the face of democracy”, Mayawati said that “a plan had been made that we come together so that the BJP candidate couldn’t win the election.” However, as per her claims, the BJP wants to break the ties between SP and BSP but the Rajya Sabha election results have failed to affect the alliance in any way.

She also took the opportunity to remind BJP of its loss in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections and said that the latter’s “immoral victory” in the Rajya Sabha cannot make up for its defeat in the bypolls.

Taking the attack a step further, Mayawati accused BJP of trying to recreate an environment of fear similar to that of the 1995 state guest house incident. “BJP is reminding us of Guest House incident of 2nd June 1995. The incident took place with the motive to murder me. What is BJP trying to prove by giving the policeman involved in that incident the highest position today? Do they want me murdered?” she said.

Also Read | BSP legislator who voted for BJP in UP Rajya Sabha elections: Question those who supported SP without asking

Responding to Mayawati, UP Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh, said, “Mayawati ji didn’t receive the return gift she expected from Akhilesh Yadav that is the Rajya Sabha seat, she is disappointed and frustrated. She is putting baseless allegations and becoming a laughing stock.”

In the Rajya Sabha elections held on Friday, the BJP ensured the victory of all its nine candidates in Uttar Pradesh. While the SP managed to bag one seat with its candidate Jaya Bachchan’s victory, BSP drew a blank with Bhimrao Ambedkar losing to BJP’s Anil Kumar Agarwal.

BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra had on Friday said that SP did its best to support Ambedkar. “BJP misused power and money to defeat our candidate… Anti-Dalit BJP ensured the defeat of a Dalit candidate,” he claimed.

As a sign of solidarity to BSP’s loss in the Rajya Sabha polls, the Samajwadi Party (SP) cancelled the victory celebration for its nominee Jaya Bachchan to be held in the state capital today.

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