JSP president Pawan Kalyan and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati have resolved to forge an alliance for the elections in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during their deliberations in Lucknow on Friday.
According to a party release, Ms. Mayawati said it was the need of the hour for Mr. Kalyan to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, saying that the people were seeking a change of guard. “There are simultaneous elections to both Assembly and Parliament in A.P. People are looking for a new leader to become CM. Hence, the JSP and the BSP will work together and field the candidates,” she observed.
It was stated in the release that the details of seat-sharing would be announced in a couple of days, and that Mr. Pawan Kalyan and Ms. Mayawati would take part in the public meetings in A.P. and Telangana on April 3 and 4.
Stating that Ms. Mayawati was a leader who ascended in politics on her own, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said she was aware of the people’s sufferings and he wished to see her as the Prime Minister.
It may be recalled that Mr. Pawan Kalyan and Nadendla Manohar went to Lucknow in October last to meet Ms. Mayawati, but instead they held discussions with her party leaders as she was out of station then. The objective was to tap the strong Dalit vote bank in both the Telugu-speaking States, and thereby put themselves in a better position to fight against the the TDP, the YSRCP and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).
Tie-up with Left parties
Back home, the JSP, the CPI and the CPI (M) are in the process of building, what they called, a viable alternative to the TDP and the YSRCP, but nothing concrete has yet emerged on their going to the polls together.