Join us: BJP’s open invite to all parties

Reacting to BSP leader Mayawati’s comments that there was no possibility of her party supporting BJP, Shah said “BJP does not believe in political untouchability”.

Shah, however, sidetracked questions on whether Modi would retain the Varanasi seat if he won from Vadodara in Gujarat.

Asked about Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s proposed roadshow in Varanasi on Saturday, Shah said: “It is good. The DM has given them the permission to put up their point of view.”

He said Modi has no other programme scheduled in Varanasi now.

The BJP’s UP in-charge also stuck to the party’s demand for the District Magistrate’s (Varanasi) transfer over the district administration’s denial of permission for a party rally in Beniyabagh in Varanasi.

Shah said: “If the EC is deploying paramilitary forces at every booth in Varanasi, we welcome it. This should be done to ensure free and fair elections.” But, he insisted, the same should also be done in Azamgarh, pointing out that Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was contesting from there and his son was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

But Maya says no to post-poll partnership

LUCKNOW: BSP chief Mayawati on Friday denied any possibility of extending support to BJP post Lok Sabha elections, a day after its PM candidate Narendra Modi hinted that NDA might have new partners in form of AIADMK, Trinamool Congress and Bhaujan Samaj Party.

Mayawati, in a press conference, said Modi made that statement because NDA was not finding itself in a position to get majority after eight rounds of polling. She called the remark a “political conspiracy”.

“Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee and J Jayalalithaa may support BJP and Modi after elections, but BSP will not give any support to BJP and Modi,” she asserted.

Lashing out at the BJP’s PM nominee, Mayawati said Modi was a person with a “communal mindset” and that he made the statement of support from BSP only to attract voters of different sections of society, particularly Muslims.

“Supporters of BSP will never forget BJP’s conspiracy to damage the BSP movement in 2003 when BSP and BJP were together running the government in UP”, she said.

“I had to resign as the Chief Minister to protect the BSP movement. Then BJP misused its power at the Centre and registered case of disproportionate assets against me,” she added.