Protect Muslims from being misled in upcoming elections: Mayawati

Lucknow: Evaluating the performance of BSP in the Lok Sabha bypoll in Azamgarh, the party supremo Mayawati said that only her party has the ground force to defeat the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh.

BSP candidate Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali stood third with 29.27 per cent votes there, while the BJP's candidates won both the Azamgarh and Rampur.

"The determination and courage with which all the BSP workers, office bearers and party candidate Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali have fought the Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypoll need to be maintained till 2024 Lok Sabha general elections as part of the resolve while maintaining election readiness," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

In another tweet, she said, not only Azamgarh, but BSP's struggle and efforts have to be continued in the entire UP to convert the groundwork into votes.

"In this sequence, it is also important to protect a particular community from being misled in the upcoming elections," she said, in an apparent reference to Muslim voters.

"The UP bypoll results has once again proved that only BSP has the 'ground force' to defeat BJP here. The party's effort to prove this to the entire community will continue, so that the much awaited political change can take place in the state," the BSP chief said.

She tweeted, "The ruling party wins most of the bypolls, yet the tough fight the BSP has given to the ruling BJP and SP in Azamgarh is commendable. All party workers have to move forward with more strength." The BSP contested only in Azamgarh bypoll. Party's candidate Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali stood third with 29.27 per cent votes there.

BJP candidates won both the Azamgarh and Rampur seats in the bypoll, the counting for which were held on Sunday.

PTI Input