Mayawati to 'reconsider' support to Madhya Pradesh government after BSP candidate from Guna joins Congress

BHOPAL: Less than 24 hours after the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Guna parliamentary constituency quit the party and joined the Congress in order to help the latter in Madhya Pradesh, a furious Mayawati on Tuesday said that she would have to do a rethink over supporting the Congress government in the state.

Lokendra Singh Rajput, the BSP-SP alliance candidate in Guna, quit on Monday in order to support Congress candidate Jyotiraditya Scindia. If the BSP supremo decides to withdraw support from the Congress government, Chief Minister Kamal Nath will find it very tough to maintain his majority in the 230-member assembly.

Rajput posted photos on social media together with Jyotiraditya Scindia, announcing his formal entry into the Congress. "Young candidate Lokendra Singh, by joining the Congress, has given us his support. We welcome him to the Congress family," Scindia tweeted.

Meanwhile, Mayawati on Tuesday hit out the Congress, stressing that the party was no less than the BJP in misusing official machinery for its political advantage. She had that Rajput had been intimidated by the Congress to quit BSP.

"The BSP candidate was intimidated and threatened and forced to drop out but the BSP will give a reply by contesting under its own symbol and will also consider whether to continue its support to the state Congress government," Mayawati tweeted.

It may be recalled that Mayawati had come to Congress' rescue after the party fell two short of a majority in last year's Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress won 114 seats and the BJP managed to emerge victorious on 109 seats. The Congress now has 113 MLAs as the Chhindwara MLA had resigned to make way for Chief Minister Kamal Nath to contest by-polls. The Congress, however, has the support of two BSP MLAs, one Samajwadi Party MLA and four independents. 

Scindia is contesting from Guna for the fifth time. He has represented the constituency since 2002, when by-polls were held after the death of his father Madhavrao Scindia.

The polling in Guna is scheduled to take place on May 12. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.