Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati has indicated that if she gets a chance to become the Prime Minister, she will contest the Lok Sabha election from Ambedkar Nagar.
“If all goes well, I may have to seek election from here because the road to national politics passes through Ambedkar Nagar,” she said.
Mayawati has won the Lok Sabha elections from Ambedkar Nagar four times – 1989, 1998, 1999 and 2004.
Addressing a rally in Ambedkar Nagar in the backdrop of her cut-out in which she is seen standing outside Parliament, Mayawati said that the era of ‘Namo Namo’ was over and time had come for those who chant ‘Jai Bhim’.
This is the first time in these elections that Mayawati has given clear indications about her aspirations for the Prime Minister’s post though her ally, Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, has repeatedly said that he would back Mayawati as Prime Minister.
Earlier in March, Mayawati had hinted that she can still be the Prime Minister even if she is not contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
The 63-year-old former four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh is not contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
She said she took the decision in the light of the “current political situation” and to ensure victory of each and every seats of the BSP-SP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
Hours after the announcement, Mayawati tweeted that “a person can become a Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha member within six months of holding the office of prime minister or a minister”.
“When I became UP CM first time in 1995 I was not member of either UP Assembly or Council. Similarly is provision at the Centre where a person have to be a LS/RS member within 6 months of holding office of minister/PM. Don’t disheartened from my decision not to contest LS poll now (sic),” Mayawati said.
To get elected to the Lok Sabha, she would have to just file her nomination papers and her party supporters would ensure her victory, she said.
Earlier on Sunday, the BSP chief appealed to the workers of the SP-BSP alliance to vote for the Congress in Monday’s election where people in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi and Rae Bareli are casting their ballots.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting from Amethi while his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is the candidate from Rae Bareli.
(With agency inputs)