New Delhi: Nearly a month after he announced to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad Wednesday rescinded his decision, saying his outfit will support the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the seat as the Dalit vote should remain intact to defeat the BJP.
Mr Azad’s remarks come a few days after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati termed him a BJP agent and accused him of dividing Dalit votes.
“I have decided not to contest from Varanasi because I do not want that my decision should strengthen the BJP or Modi in anyway. We all want to defeat the BJP,” he said at a press conference.
Mr Azad also said the Bhim Army will support the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the Varanasi seat and asked it to field Satish Chandra Mishra, Mayawati’s general secretary and Brahmin face of the BSP, from the constituency. He said that if the SP-BSP-RLD alliance fielded Mishra, they will also be able to get some upper caste votes.
Earlier, the Bhim Army chief had accused Mishra of misleading Mayawati and conspiring against the Dalit group.
On Mayawati’s criticism of him, he said, “I was in jail for 16 months. While behind the bars, everyday I would hope that ‘behenji’ would take our side, fight for us, but she did not utter a word. After getting released, I tried calling her up, but she never responded.”
“Our own people are calling us agents of the BJP, but I still want her to become our PM. I want to end this war of words with Mayawati once and for all. I want to make it clear that we did not form the Bhim Army at the behest of the BJP,” he said.
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