"BSP should join INDIA bloc if..." Congress leader Pramod Tiwari

New Delhi [India], January 12 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari on Friday that if the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) considers itself "anti-BJP," then it should consider joining the constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) for the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
"As far as the BSP is concerned, we have asked all those parties who sincerely oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party. If they (the BSP) are understood to be anti-BJP, they should get in touch with all the constituents of the India bloc and join the anti-Modi bloc," Tiwari told ANI on Friday.
This comes amidst seat-sharing talks between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Tiwari was responding to queries about whether Congress would keep its doors for the BSP to join the INDIA alliance.
"If they do not dare to oppose the BJP, then it is alright," the senior Congress leader said.
Replying to a query on its equation with Akhilesh Yadav-led SP, the Congress leader said, "We have held two meetings with the Samajwadi Party. We are holding discussions on seats."
Congress and SP, who are partners in the INDIA bloc, a coalition of at least 28 political parties formed with the aim to take on the BJP-led Union government in the Lok Sabha elections, contested separately in the recently concluded assembly elections.
BSP chief Mayawati has not yet joined any of the alliances--the INDIA bloc or the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance--and has reiterated that her party will "single-handedly" contest the 2024 general elections.
In the 2019 general elections the BSP and the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav had fought in an alliance. The two parties failed to make an impact with the BSP winning 10 of the 38 seats it contested, while the SP won 5 of the 37 seats from where it fielded candidates. After that debacle the BSP decided to go it alone in the assembly elections in 2022. (ANI)