BJP's dirty tricks won't affect SP-BSP alliance: Mayawati

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Mar. 24 (ANI): Reacting to the results of Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati on Saturday aimed a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming their "malpractices" will not weaken the newly formed Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP alliance.

"I would like to tell BJP and company that their malpractices will not succeed in breaking the ties between SP and BSP. Yesterday's results have not affected the SP-BSP tie up in any way, not even by an inch," said the BSP chief.

The Rajya Sabha polls saw the BJP bag a total of nine out of 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, while the BSP-backed SP won a solitary seat.

While eight out of the nine BJP candidates were assured to get through, the ninth seat was still in contention, with a BSP candidate being one of the frontrunners.

Reminding the BJP of their loss in the recent Uttar Pradesh bypolls, where the SP-BSP alliance defeated the BJP in Phulpur and Yogi Adityanath's backyard Gorakhpur, Mayawati launched an offensive rhetoric on the BJP, alleging them of "using the system" to make their candidate win.

"We view yesterday's result just like anyone else. We believe (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and Amit Shah used the system to make their candidates win. An environment of fear was created due to which there was some cross-voting done," said the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. (ANI)