Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday clarified that she would rather “quit politics” than ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Her statement came days after she said that her party would even support the BJP to defeat the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming elections to the Upper House of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

“There is no question of fighting elections with the BJP or any other communal and divisive forces,” Mayawati said at a press conference in Delhi. “I would like to assure the Muslim community that I would rather quit politics but will not ally with the BJP.”

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She also accused the Samajwadi Party and the Congress of manipulating her statement.

She added that communal riots did not take place in Uttar Pradesh when her party was in power in the state along with the BJP, reported ANI.

“Even after forming the government with BJP, Bahujan Samaj Party had not allowed Hindu-Muslim riots to take place. While during the Congress-SP regime there were riots in the state,” she said. “In 1995, when I formed the government, BJP-RSS supporters in Mathura tried to hurt Muslim sentiments. I had not allowed it due to which my government collapsed,” Mayawati added.

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On October 29, amid speculations that some of her party MLAs could jump ship to join the Samajwadi Party, Mayawati had spoken about supporting the BJP in the upcoming elections to the Legislative Council of Uttar Pradesh and the Rajya Sabha.

Later, she suspended seven of her rebel MLAs on charges of “anti-party activities”.

Elections to 10 Uttar Pradesh seats in the Upper House of the Parliament are to be held on November 9. On the other hand, 11 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council will become vacant in January. Six of the sitting members on these seats are from Samajwadi Party, three from BJP and two from Mayawati’s party.

Uttar Pradesh has a bicameral legislature and consists of a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council, which acts as the Upper House.