Mayawati should join hands with BJP for Dalits, tie up with SP won't last: Athawale

Lucknow: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday asked Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati to join hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

“…Mayawati became Uttar Pradesh chief minister thrice with the BJP’s support. The BSP cadre knows well that the alliance with the SP will not give desired electoral gains in the Lok Sabha polls. Instead of the SP, Mayawati should again join hands with the BJP,” he said.

Athawale also added that if Mayawati wants to work for the upliftment of Dalits then she should consider forming an alliance with PM Modi. BSP-SP alliance will not last long as voters do not approve of it.

"I think that the SP-BSP alliance on one side and Congress and others parties on other will only help BJP in Uttar Pradesh since votes will get divided. BJP can win over 60 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and NDA won't face any problem in forming the government at Centre," he said.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP had formed an alliance to jointly contest 38 seats each in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections while leaving the other two seats to other parties.