Why Congress was not included in SP-BSP alliance

Once-arch rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party announced on Saturday their tie-up in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, keeping the Congress out of the alliance.

The parties, however, said they would not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Explaining why the Congress was not included in the alliance, she said that during the Congress rule over the years, poverty, unemployment and corruption grew and there had been scams in various defence deals.

She also said that in case of a tie-up with the Congress in the past, the party did not benefit.

"In the past I have seen that our votes get transferred to the Congress, but not vice-versa. We do not gain from alliance with Congress, whereas vote transfer is perfect in SP-BSP tie-up,” Mayawati said.

Drawing a parallel between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, Mayawati said the Congress had imposed the Emergency while the BJP is responsible for an undeclared Emergency.

In 2014, the BJP had won 71 seats in Uttar Pradesh while its ally Apna Dal bagged two.

The Samajwadi Party won 5 seats and the Congress two, while the BSP drew a blank.