Lucknow: A day after losing the 10th contentious seat of Rajya Sabha to ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati attributed it subtly to the ‘political immaturity’ of SP
chief Akhilesh Yadav saying he should have ensured the victory of her candidate giving him first priority before worrying about his own nominee.

“Had I been in place of Akhilesh Yadav and he being in my shoes, I would have allotted my first preference votes to his candidate rather than thinking of my nominee first,” said the BSP chief while
interacting with the media here on Saturday.

However, Mayawati was quick to add that the RS results would have no impact on her party’s ties with the SP and that she did not hold SP chief responsible for the defeat of BSP candidate. Of the 10 seats up for polls, while BJP was sure of the victory of its 8 candidates and SP one (Jaya Bachchan), the 10th seat was caught in a cliff hanger between the ruling party and the BSP candidate Bhimrao Ambedkar supported by SP, Congress and RLD.

Notably, after calling SP-BSP alliance on March 4 an understanding limited to the quid pro quo over UP bypoll and Rajya Sabha election, the BSP chief on Saturday iterated continuation of her ties with SP, though she said she would have a positive review of the alliance ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election.

“After my party candidate’s defeated in Rajya Sabha polls, let me make it clear that now the BSP and SP workers will work with greater conviction to oust BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections,”  asserted the
BSP chief. She also clarified that her party would not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha and other
bypolls but would work to consolidate the party base among Sarv Samaj till 2019.

However, Mayawati took a jibe on independent MLA of Kunda Rahuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya accusing him of backing ruling party while promising support to Akhilesh Yadav. “SP chief fell prey
to his tactic and could not understand Raja Bhaiyya’s game plan as SP chief is still new in politics,” averred the BSP chief.

Hoping that Akhilesh would gain political prudence with time, the BSP chief reiterated that BJP’s ‘designs’ of creating a wedge between SP and BSP would never be successful. Mayawati buried the hatchet of ‘state guest house episode’ with the SP and absolved Akhilesh saying that he had no role in it. However, she took a snipe on BJP for appointing the then SSP Lucknow UP DGP. Extending her gratitude to both SP and Congress to have tried their best to make Ambedkar win,

Mayawati rejected results as BJP’s revenge of recently concluded bypoll defeat. “LS polls and RS polls
are different. The two have different dynamics. In bypolls people vote directly,” she said adding RS polls were more of a political manoeuvring in which the saffron party had expertise.

She, however, acknowledged her good ties with Congress and time-to-time support she had extended to the grand old party when it was in Centre. She hit out at the BJP accusing it of misusing government machinery and intimidating opposition MLAs. “They wanted to disturb the SP-BSP new-found closeness and they used muscle power and money power to send a ‘money bag’ to the upper house by using all tricks and tactics,” she said.

While suspending her MLA Anil Singh who had openly supported Yogi Adityanath after casting his vote on Friday, Mayawati also made air of lone RLD MLA’s vote which was declared invalid and smelt a design in it saying she would review her ties with RLD in future.