Author: Team TOI
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 17, 2009
Disappointed by the Lok Sabha poll results,
BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati on Saturday appeared before the media
after a brief hibernation, only to blame Muslims for not voting for her party
- as she and her party had expected.
''Muslims were confused and divided and this
confusion was created by the opposition as a part of its joint strategy against
BSP,'' said Mayawati, explaining the reason for BSP's poor show in Uttar Pradesh.
She said the parties responsible for spreading this were SP and Congress.
Talking to reporters on Saturday evening,
Mayawati said that the opposition deliberately tried to create an Team TOI
impression that she would join the BJP-led NDA after the election.
Since she had formed the government in Uttar
Pradesh thrice with the support of BJP, Mayawati said, Muslims erroneously
came under the impression their vote would end up propping up BJP. Thus confused,
they did not vote for BSP, she said.
Muslims, she said, voted tactically. In this
scheme, they had voted the candidates whom they considered formidable against
the BJP. This helped Congress as well as SP in areas where they had strong
candidates.
However, she said that there was no regret,
as BSP had been able to increase its vote percentage both nationally as well
in UP.
