BSP announces 22 candidates for MP

(With inputs from agencies)

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

NEW DELHI: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday joined hands with Ajit Jogi 's party in Chhattisgarh and announced 22 candidates for Madhya Pradesh election in a blow to the Congress's plans to sew up an alliance in poll-bound states.BSP chief Mayawati said that Jogi will be the chief minister in case the alliance won the polls in Chhattisgarh.Addressing a press conference, Mayawati said the BSP and the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) will soon launch a joint election campaign and a plan for conducting rallies will be finalised soon."Both the parties are capable of stopping the BJP in the state. If some other regional parties want to join us, we will take their help," she added.Mayawati said that the BSP will fight on 35 seats and Janta Congress Chhattisgarh will contest 55 seats for the assembly election "Bahujan Samaj Party has decided to contest upcoming assembly polls in alliance with Janta Congress Chhattisgarh. BSP will fight on 35 seats and Janta Congress Chhattisgarh will contest on 55 seats. If we win, Ajit Jogi will be the CM," the BSP chief said.Reacting to the development, Congress said that they had received a proposal from the BSP but they will fight the elections independently."We had received a proposal from BSP for an alliance. Congress will fight the elections independently and form the government in the state," Congress general secretary and Chhattisgarh in charge, PL Punia said.Naming 22 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly election, the BSP said it will contest all 230 seats on its own.State Congress president Kamal Nath had said earlier that his party wants to join hands with like-minded parties such as the BSP for taking on the ruling BJP. Nath had also met BSP supremo Mayawati on July 15.A Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity that his party still has hopes that an alliance with the BSP will materialise."They have announced only 22 candidates, including three sitting MLAs, for the seats where their position is strong. It is just a move to scare us and get a better seat sharing deal," he said."We had offered them 15-16 seats but they wanted more," he said.However, BSP's Madhya Pradesh in charge Ram Achal Rajbhar said his party will contest all 230 seats.Elections in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are due by year-end.