Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party has called for an important meeting of its core committee on Thursday at BSP state office in Lucknow in order to finalise the allotment of tickets for candidates in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
The list for the BSP candidates for the first and second phase of polling is expected soon. It is also expected that discussion on fielding candidates from Amethi and Raebareli will also be done in the meeting.
Earlier, on Wednesday evening Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav had visited BSP Chief Mayawati at her residence in Mall Avenue, Lucknow after AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi was reported to have visited Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Azad at a hospital in Meerut. Speculations were rife that the BSP Chief was miffed over Priyanka Gandhi meeting the Bhim Army Chief. There is talk that Mayawati may rethink on the decision of alliance to leave two seats of Amethi and Raebareli for Congress.
However, sources in Samajwadi Party claimed that Priyanka Gandhi’s visit to the Bhim Army chief was a mere pressure tactic by Congress after BSP had closed doors of an alliance for the grand old party.
Meanwhile, Senior Samajwadi Party leader Rajendra Chaudhary, soon after the meeting between Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati said, “The alliance has left two seats of Amethi and Raebareli for the Congress and will honestly support it on them. Today’s meeting between Akhilesh Ji and Mayawati Ji was to discuss the joint rallies and public meetings as the alliance was preparing for a full-fledged campaign post-Holi.”
On the other hand, the Bhim Army Chief had raised questions over SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s stand on the issue of reservation in job promotion and had asked for clarity.
Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Azad had also stated that if SP-BSP alliance fails to field a strong candidate against PM Modi in Varanasi then he himself will be contesting against PM Modi in Varanasi.
Azad, who enjoys a huge following among the youths in Western Uttar Pradesh, has shown open support to BSP Chief Mayawati on several occasions. However, the BSP has not reciprocated the same. Mayawati has taken pot shots at Azad on several occasions without taking his name.
The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have forged a pre-poll alliance in the state for upcoming general elections and both have decided to contest on 37 and 38 seats respectively. Three seats have been given to Rahstriya Lok Dal while two seats of Amethi and Raebareli were left for Congress without any alliance.
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