Pratapgarh / Basti (UP): PM Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Samajwadi Party of going soft on Congress, saying the two parties are playing a “big game” against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati. Addressing BJP rallies in Pratapgarh and Basti, Modi said the SP-BSP alliance partners will be at each other’s throats when the results are out on May 23. He said while Mayawati is openly targeting the Congress and its policies, a Congress leader is sharing the stage with the SP. The apparent reference was to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s presence at an SP meeting in Rae Bareli on Thursday. “The SP is going soft on the Congress, but its alliance partner BSP chief Mayawati is attacking the Congress,” Modi said in Pratapgarh.
He claimed SP had derived advantage out of the alliance, talking about “respect” towards her. “It was said you (Mayawati) will be made the PM, but now `Behenji’ has understood that SP and Congress are playing a big game with her,” he said. He also accused Congress and SP of “betraying” BSP supremo Mayawati for their personal gains. “Congress leaders are happily sharing the stage with SP in rallies. These people have betrayed Behenji (Mayawati) so cunningly that even she is not able to comprehend. The party which was staking claim to prime ministerial post before the first round of voting, now admits to being a vote cutter,” he said at a public rally here.
“These people made an alliance just to benefit themselves. They took advantage of Mayawati by showing her reams of becoming the prime minister. But instead, Congress and SP kept her in the dark,” he added. Modi said the Congress has been reduced to the status of a ‘vote katwa’ party, suggesting its only relevance now is to queer the pitch for other parties.