Mayawati accuses BJP of misusing government machinery to influence polls

BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday accused the BJP of misusing government machinery to influence the Lok Sabha elections and questioned why the Election Commission (EC) was not taking cognisance in the matter.

"The BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and other states have misused government machinery to influence elections. They have crossed all limits particularly, during the voting day. Such examples are found in Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Maharashtra. Despite this, why the EC is not taking cognisance in the matter?" she wrote on her Twitter handle.

Mayawati cited the incident where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently said that he was in touch with around 40 TMC MLAs.

"Recently their anti-public ego spoke so high that they openly threatened to bring down the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal by bringing 40 TMC MLAs in their fold. This statement stands at the pinnacle of a political conspiracy. People of Bengal and this country will not forgive (the BJP)," read another tweet by Mayawati.

On Monday, Modi had claimed that 40 TMC MLAs were in touch with him and there was nothing that could save West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Didi, on May 23, when the results will come, the lotus will bloom everywhere and your MLAs will leave you. Didi, your 40 MLAs are in contact with me even now," he had said at a public meeting in Serampore.

Continuing her attack against Modi, Mayawati claimed that the BJP government will lose despite hatching conspiracies against their political opponents.

"That is why in non-BJP states, they are indulging in violence and are misusing CBI, ED, I-T to scare the key leaders of SP, BSP and Opposition," the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said in another tweet.

Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats and is undergoing polling in seven phases. So far, election to 39 parliamentary constituencies in the state has been held.

Polls in the remaining 41 Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 6, 12 and 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

-ANI