Mayawati hints that BJP might go in for early Lok Sabha elections after their defeat in bypolls

CHANDIGARH: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati today hinted that the BJP might prepone the parliamentary elections as their popularity is on the decline and they have been defeated is all the
by-elections including in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Addressing the rally here today, Mayawati said,`` with yesterday's by-election result in which the saffron party lost it’s both Gorakhpur and Phulpur lok sabha seats in UP and also LS seat in Bihar, there is a possibility that the ruling BJP might prepone Lok Sabha elections which are scheduled to be held in 2019."

She went on to say that the saffron party might hold the general elections along with forthcoming assembly elections in seven to eight states. `` They know that as they delay the parliamentary elections it could cause more damage to them so.  In the present situation there is a great possibility of holding Lok Sabha polls before time," she claimed.

Mayawati  once again raised the issue of alleged tampering of EVMs and sought holding of forthcoming elections with ballot papers only.

The former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh claimed that the public was disappointed with the performance of the NDA Government and now again the BJP is trying to mislead people.  "BJP has again started misleading people with false and enticing promises being made to the dalits and weaker section of the society and one should not fall into their trap," she said.

She said that her party had supported Samajwadi Party candidates in Uttar Pradesh for Lok Sabha by-elections in order to defeat BJP and teach them a lesson. " In Uttar Pradesh, we wanted to teach a lesson to the BJP and thus we decided to support the SP candidates in Gorakhpur and Phulpur which were earlier held by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya. After losing both these seats they have lost their sleep," she said.

She also took a dig at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan 'Na Khaunga, Na Khaane dunga' (will not engage in corruption myself and nor allow others) which he gave during 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

``Modi had given a slogan Na Khaunga, Na Khaane dunga' to eliminate corruption. But scams worth crore of rupees have surfaced involving people like Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, which proved that slogan hollow. These corrupt people are enjoying their lives in foreign countries with tacit support of the government," she alleged.

She  accused  the central government of giving whatever black money they recovered from corrupt people to capitalists in one shape or the other. " This money could have been used in containing inflation
and for the benefit of poor people," she said.

Further hitting out at the saffron party Mayawati said,`` They have also weakened the democracy in the country to a large extent. Their dictatorship and arbitrary regime have even crossed the emergency imposed by Congress in 1975.’’