I dream of becoming prime minister and not president of India, says Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the Samajwadi Party of spreading rumours that she wants to become the President of India.

“I will never dream of becoming the President because I do not want a life of comfort but one of struggle,” she said, NDTV reported. “I do dream of becoming the Uttar Pradesh chief minister again and also the Prime Minister of the country.”

Mayawati’s statement comes a day after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that Bahujan Samaj Party transferred its votes to the Bharatiya Janata Party during the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, ANI reported. Yadav also blamed Mayawati for the BJP’s return to power in Uttar Pradesh.

“BSP has given the vote to BJP,” Yadav said. “Now the question is whether BJP will make Mayawati the President.”

On Thursday, Mayawati said that Yadav’s party was responsible for giving the Assembly elections a Hindu-Muslim spin, resulting in BJP’s return to power.

“The Samajwadi Party should forget its dreams of making me the President so that their way to power in Uttar Pradesh is clear,” she said. “It is the SP that is responsible for all the atrocities that are happening against Muslims and others.”

She also said that the Samajwadi Party failed to form a government in the state despite getting a “bulk of Muslim votes” in the February polls, the Hindustan Times reported. “The SP also formed pre-poll alliances with various political parties to grab the power but failed,” she added.

She said her party will come to power if Muslims, Dalits and other minorities support it.

“The members of these communities can make me the chief minister or the prime minister,” she was quoted as saying, reported the Hindustan Times. “They should not be taken for a ride by the rival parties but should realise BSP is their well-wisher. They should unite for the formation of the BSP government after the next election.”