New Delhi, Sept 17: The BJP today ruled out a tie-up with BSP in the four states where assembly elections are slated for later this year. "Even when we were in a coalition government in Uttar Pradesh, we had decided to limit the relationship to the state. Now that the alliance is over, there is no chance of an any other state," party general secretary Pramod Mahajan told reporters here.

He refuted allegations by former UP Chief Minister Mayawati that he had a role in the collapse of the BJP-BSP arrangement in the state. Describing the coming assembly elections as the "final show of strength between Congress and BJP" before the Lok Sabha elections next year, he said BJP's electoral prospects in the four states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi were positive and the party would win in these states.

"We are very confident of coming to power in the four states based on the inputs we are receiving from our organisation in the four states," he said.

The party would open its account in Mizoram Assembly for the first time, he said. On the selection of candidates for the assembly elections, he said "we are at present in the process of collecting information so that we can recommend certain names to the central election committee, comprising party president, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, which is authorised to take a final decision in this regard."

Bureau Report