NDA Minister Admits SP-BSP Alliance Will Eat Into BJP Votes in UP in 2019 General Election

Lucknow: In a startling admission, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Narendra Modi government Ramdas Athawale has said that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party can bag around 25 to 30 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

“Even if SP-BSP come together for 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, they will win around 25-30 seats only. But if Mayawati comes with NDA then we will win all the 80 Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh,” said Athawale.

The minister was possibly impressed by the good showing by the SP-BSP alliance in the recently concluded UP bypolls in which they managed to win Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the constituencies of CM Adityanath and deputy CM Maurya.

Addressing a press conference at the VVIP Guest House in Lucknow, founder of Republican Party of India (A), Athawle said that Samajwadi Party is betraying Bahujan Samaj Party and if Mayawati is really interested in the development of the Dalits and Backwards then she should come along with NDA.

“Even if there is a third front formation in 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, then too NDA will win and form government again. Mayawati has been Chief Minister of the state thrice with the support of BJP, while Samajwadi Party is betraying BSP. If Mayawati is really serious about Dalits and their development then she should come along with NDA,” he said.

Athawale termed Mayawati's resignation from the Rajya Sabha as a mere "stunt". In July last year, Mayawati resigned from the Rajya Sabha hours after the Chair asked her to restrict her impromptu speech on anti-Dalit violence in Saharanpur of Uttar Pradesh.

“Resignation from Rajya Sabha was a mere stunt by Mayawati. On the other hand, politics in the name of Dr BR Ambedkar is wrong, I am in favour of changing the name of Dr BR Ambedkar to Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and I want to thank CM Yogi Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik for this,” said Athawale.

Ramdas Athawle also said that although there was a rise in violence against Dalits in the name of Gauraksha, but at the same time he also hailed the efforts made by CM Yogi to curb the violence against Dalits in the state.