Taking a dig at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said the Congress party was in such bad shape in the upcoming Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh that its “chief ministerial candidate” changed her stand within hours.
It would be better if people do not “spoil their vote” by voting for the Congress but vote for the BSP, she said.
“In Uttar Pradesh, parties such as the Congress are viewed as vote-cutters (dividers) by the people,” Ms. Mayawati said.
The former Chief Minister’s attack on Ms. Vadra came a day after the Congress leader clarified that she had not said that she was the CM face of the party in Uttar Pradesh.
On Friday, Ms. Vadra pitched herself as the face of the Congress campaign but did not reveal if it meant contesting election or projecting herself as the CM contender.
“Do you see any other face from the Congress party. You are seeing my face everywhere,” Ms. Vadra had responded on being asked by presspersons on who would be the party’s Chief Minister candidate.
On Saturday, however, Ms. Vadra clarified to a news agency that she did not mean that she was the CM face of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh and had made the earlier remark in “irritation” as presspersons were asking her the same question repeatedly.
While warning voters against the Congress, Ms. Mayawati said the BSP was best placed to overthrow the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, which needed a government that cared for the entire society and had a “tried and tested” leadership.