"BSP's working style different from capitalist parties," says Mayawati

NEW DELHI: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati on Sunday called her party different from "the capitalist parties of the country."

She said her party is not just a political one but a movement inspired by the ideals of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. The party is dedicated to the mission of ensuring self-respect for the marginalised.

"The policy and working style of the party are different from those of the capitalist parties in the country. The party also fields candidates, keeping this in mind in the elections," she added further.

The development comes as BSP MP from Ambedkar Nagar, Ritesh Pandey, resigned from the BSP on Sunday to join the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Pandey joined the BJP in the presence of UP Deputy CM, Brajesh Pathak, along with other state leaders.

Meanwhile, amid the widening rift over the INDIA bloc, and the speculation that many Congress leaders would jump ship to the BJP, Mayawati reiterated that there is no alliance with any party ahead of the Lok Sabha election and said that her party will contest the election alone.

The BSP chief said that her party may consider an alliance only after the elections are over.

On December 21, 2023, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati lashed out at member parties of the INDIA bloc, especially the Samajwadi Party (SP), who make comments on opposition parties that are not a part of the alliance.

Notably, the Samajwadi Party reportedly opposed the move to induct the BSP into the INDIA bloc at the fourth meeting of the INDIA parties.

BSP was a major political force in Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s and 2000s but witnessed a gradual decline over the past decade.

In the 2022 assembly elections, the party polled only 12.8 per cent of the votes, its lowest in almost three decades.

On Wednesday, as the farmers' protests continued, BSP supremo Mayawati urged the government to take the demands of the farmers seriously and to consider them with empathy.