New Delhi, June 21
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today withdrew support to the four-year-old United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, already on notice from the Left parties, putting it under further pressure at a crucial juncture.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati announced to a crowded press conference here, “We have sent a letter to this effect to the President of India, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker.
The BSP has 17 members in the Lower House of Parliament which has a strength of 544. In numerical terms, Mayawati’s move may not count for much.
But in the event of Left withdrawing support on the Indo-US nuclear deal, as it has threatened, the government may face an uphill task in proving its majority in the Lok Sabha in case the opposition brings a no-confidence motion against the government.
The BSP chief said, “Four years ago, we had extended support to the UPA government against the communal forces. But it has failed to provide succour to the Dalits, the poor, the farmers and other deprived sections of the society.”
She cited the 11.05 per cent inflation and the rising cost of all food and other articles of everyday use, as a clear instance of the government’s insensitivity towards the poorer sections of the society and said, “The UPA government is a government of the rich.”
Mayawati also complained that the government has done little justice to her and her party. “The BJP-led NDA government had instituted a false Taj Corridor case and disproportionate assets (DA) case against me.”
“We had expected some justice from this government. But instead of doing us any justice, the government simply delayed the cases and finally I had to approach the Supreme Court,” said the BSP president.
She categorically denied any deal with the BJP and said, “It’s a canard against me that I met
Advani (BJP prime ministerial candidate) and was offered deputy prime ministership.”“Our party has never had any pre-poll alliance with the BJP and will never have it. They have spoilt my image and that of my party.”
She added though, “Congress aur BJP ek hi thaili ke chatte-batte hain (The Congress and BJP are the two sides of the same coin). We will have no electoral alliance with any of them.”
She also dismissed suggestions that her move is promoted by the growing proximity between the Congress and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
She said, “Mulayam Singh is in such a pitiable state. I feel pity on him that he is seeking to align with a party which has hardly any base in UP.”
But Mayawati remained non-committal on the Indo-US nuclear deal and whether she will vote against the government in Parliament. She said, “We are now on our own. We are not concerned with what the BJP or the Left is doing. We will decide our stand on the merit of each issue now.”
