'Mulayam & BJP Got Me Framed in Taj Case': Mayawati Attacks Yadav Family, Blames Akhilesh Govt for Poll Loss

New Delhi: Attacking the Yadav family at a crucial BSP meeting, party supremo Mayawati accused Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav of "working hand in glove with the BJP" to frame her in Taj corridor case. She also attacked former ally Akhilesh of working against non-Yadav and backward communities, resulting in the alliance's Lok Sabha poll debacle.

According to News18 sources, the Bahujan Samaj Party chief said at the meeting the Akhilesh's SP government did not work for the non-Yadavs and Dalits in the state, leading to loss of votes in the recently-concluded parliamentary elections. She also claimed that Mulayam helped the BJP in implicating her in Taj corridor case.

The case dates back to 2012 when then CM Mayawati had launched the corridor project to beautify areas near the Taj Mahal. A year later, the Supreme Court had directed CBI conduct an inquiry into the Rs 17-crore project. The alleged Taj Heritage Corridor scam dogged her for years, and she has charged with possessing assets disproportionate to her income.

Mayawati's latest outburst is likely to further damage hopes of SP-BSP joining hands in future electoral battles.

According to some reports, Mayawati expressed her dissatisfaction over Akhilesh "neither visiting her nor talking to her over phone" ever since the Lok Sabha election results were announced.

"Behenji (Mayawati) told party leaders that Akhilesh had an important say in seat-sharing between the alliance partners and played a pivotal role in the selection of candidates. She said Akhilesh asked her to field minimum Muslim candidates as it might lead to polarisation during election. Terming it a bad advice, she said it proved to be an important factor in the defeat of the alliance," a Hindustan Times report quoted a BSP leader as saying.

The BSP chief's statements came during the two-hour-long national convention of the BSP at party headquarters in Lucknow on Sunday, which was attended by all newly-elected MPs, MLAs and key post-holders from across the country.

The party also discussed other important issues, such as the removal of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and holding elections through ballot papers all across the country.