Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh CM and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati announced to go ahead with Ajit Jogi's Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) ahead of the upcoming Chhattisgarh polls later this year.

The BSP has decided to contest from 35 seats, while JCC will announce candidates from the remaining 55 seats in the 90-member Assembly. The Dalit powerhouse said Jogi would be the chief ministerial candidate.

Announcing this on Thursday, BSP chief Mayawati said the alliance was formed after “much thought” to all aspects of governance. She said Jogi has extensively worked for the poor, Dalits, minorities, tribals and marginalised sections of society. “It was because of his efforts that the Congress grew in Chhattisgarh, but he never got his due,” she said.

Taking potshots at the Congress, the 62-year-old Dalit leader said: “I am clear about the alliance with other parties. We will go for an alliance if our party gets a respectable number of seats and if the ideologies match.”

Reacting to the development, Congress said that they had received a proposal from the BSP but they have decided to fight the elections independently. 

On Thursday, the BSP supremo also announced 22 candidates in Madhya Pradesh where it had been in talks with the Congress for a pre-poll alliance. Both senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia have been trying to woo Mayawati, given that Dalits claim six per cent of the votes in Madhya Pradesh. The BSP has already decided to go solo in Rajasthan.  

Mayawati’s decision will come as a double blow to Congress. First, it will cut Congress's votes and help the ruling BJP.

Also, it would affect Congress’ plan for a united Opposition against the BJP ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

With inputs from PTI