Lucknow

Following the announcement of bypolls results in Uttar Pradesh and assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, BSP national president Mayawati on Sunday announced that her party would not contest any bypolls in the country from now on, untill it is assured that the Election Commission has taken strict measures to prevent "misuse of government" machinery in these elections.

BSP President alleged that the government machinery was used during bye-elections in Uttar Pradesh to cast "wrong votes."

Addressing a press conference here, Mayawati said, "In the bye-elections held in the UP assembly on nine seats, the votes that were cast and the results that came yesterday, there is general discussion in public that earlier power was misused to cast wrong votes were through ballot paper, but now the same is being done in EVMs as well, which is sad in a democracy."

"This is being done openly in the by-elections. We have witnessed a lot of things in Uttar Pradesh by-polls. Election results of Maharashtra is also being questioned. It's an alarming situation for the country. In such case, our party has decided that until the country's Election Commission takes some strict steps to stop this scenario, our party will not contest any by-election," he said.

Mayawati, however, said that her party will contest all general Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and municipal elections all over the country, citing that "government machinery can't be used during these elections, as there are chances of change in regime."

She said, "In general elections, the scenario is different as there are chances of change in regime and hence the government machinery does not intimidate or put pressure on the public. Hence, we have decided that our party will fight the Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and municipal elections in the country."

She claimed that Congress and BJP were scared of Bahujan Samaj Party when it formed government in Uttar Pradesh in 2007.

"In 2007, when BSP formed a government in Uttar Pradesh with full majority, other parties like Congress and BSP were scared that we could have formed government in Lok Sabha and fulfilled the dreams of Baba Ambedkar Saheb and Kanshi Ram. Hence, these casteist parties, Congress, BJP and company, made various parties of Dalits and backwards. They funded them to participate in elections... it is all in general discussion... But, our party, BSP bears it's all expenses on itself...," Mayawati said.

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The results for the assembly polls were declared on November 23. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won six assembly bypolls and its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RJD) won one seat, while Samajwadi Party was able to win just two seats out of nine.