Won't accept offer of Prez post from any party, BJP misled people: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday asserted that she will not accept the offer of President's post from any party and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had spread false propaganda that she will be 'made the President' if the BJP comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, misleading her supporters.

In a statement after reviewing the party's humiliating defeat in the state elections, the four-time former chief minister said she is a firm disciple of Kanshi Ram who had also refused the post in the past.

"How can I accept such a post when we know that it will be the end of our party. So I want to make it clear to every BSP office bearer that in the interest of our party and movement, I will not accept any offer for the President's post from the BJP or other parties and they should never be misled in future," Mayawati said.

The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24 and elections to the post have to held before that.

The BSP chief said she will spend every moment of her life strengthening the party across the country and urged its members not to be disheartened.

"In this election, through a well-thought-out strategy and conspiracy, the BJP, through its RSS organisation has spread false propaganda among our people that if a BSP government is not formed in UP, we will make your 'Behenji' the President of the country. That is why you should allow BJP to come to power," Mayawati said while delving into the reasons for her party's defeat.

"Let alone becoming the President, I cannot even imagine such a thing in my dream. They (BJP) also know that long ago Kanshi Ram ji had rejected this offer and I am his firm disciple," she said.

The BSP had got only one seat out of 403 in the recently-held assembly elections while in 2017 it had won 19 seats.

Addressing a state-level meeting held at the party's state office in Lucknow, Mayawati also alleged that the BJP instead of providing jobs to the poor, gave free ration and made them lachaar (helpless) and gulam (slave).

She said apart from members of her caste (Jatav, those who belong to other castes in the Dalit community should also be "taken out of Hindutva" and brought back to the BSP.

Despite staking claim to votes of the Muslim community and forming alliances with dozens of organisations and parties, the SP was far away from coming to power, Mayawati said.

"In such a situation, now SP can never come back to power here and neither can this party stop the BJP from coming to power," she said.

Mayawati claimed the Muslims are "repenting" after voting for the SP.

"'They (muslims) should not make any such mistake which will give more strength to BJP. I strongly appeal to them in this regard," she said.

"We have to make every effort to bring the directionless people out of the clutches of the SP and bring them back to our party. Now all other Hindu communities have to be associated with the BSP cadre like in 2007," she said.

Mayawati said to bring her party back to power in UP, she is bracing for a fierce struggle and confrontation with all the 'casteist, capitalist and feudal forces.'

"Now, every moment of my life will be spent on strengthening my party at every level in the whole country," she said.