BSP to go it alone in the polls

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday ruled out seat adjustment with any party in the Lok Sabha polls and declared that the issue of the prime ministerial candidate of the Third Front would be decided after the elections.

The dinner meeting of the Front leaders to be hosted by her would not discuss the issue of prime ministership, she told a press conference in New Delhi. "The meeting has nothing to do with the issue of prime ministership. The issue will be decided only after the results of the 15th Lok Sabha polls are out," she said. But definitely, the meeting would discuss plans to keep the United Progressive Alliance  and National Democratic Alliance out of power, she said.

"All our allies are contesting the elections separately and after the elections, we will unitedly prevent the UPA and NDA from coming to power," she said, adding that the way the Front was being targeted showed that its detractors have become "panicky." It was the "heartfelt desire" of party founder Kanshi Ram that BSP captured power at the Centre and in all the states, Mayawati, who has often been projected the party's prime ministerial candidate, said.

Mayawati released the BSP's "appeal" for the Lok Sabha elections in which she has promised that if her party came to power at the Centre, her government will provide reservation for upper castes.