Thu Feb 20 14:35:16 UTC 2025: ## Rahul Gandhi Questions Mayawati’s Election Strategy, Sparking Bitter Exchange
**Lucknow, UP** – A war of words erupted between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati after Gandhi questioned the BSP’s recent electoral performance. During a visit to his Raebareli constituency on Thursday, Gandhi, while praising Mayawati’s legacy, publicly questioned her party’s recent election strategy, asking, “Why is Behenji not fighting elections properly these days?”
This remark drew a sharp rebuke from Mayawati, who accused the Congress of harboring animosity and casteist prejudice against the BSP. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mayawati highlighted what she described as a double standard by the Congress, alleging that while the party courts alliances with the BSP in states where it is weak, like Uttar Pradesh, it displays animosity towards the BSP in states where it holds power.
Mayawati further claimed that in past alliances with the Congress, the BSP’s votes were transferred to the Congress but not reciprocated, leading to losses for the BSP. She also accused both the Congress and BJP of historically opposing Ambedkar’s ideals and the Dalit-Bahujan community.
Gandhi, meanwhile, expressed regret that a three-party alliance (Congress, BSP, and Samajwadi Party) did not materialize for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claiming such a coalition would have prevented the BJP’s victory. The Congress won 6 seats in the 2024 elections, while the Samajwadi Party won 37. The BSP, despite contesting 79 seats, failed to win a single seat.
The exchange underscores the deep divisions and mistrust between the Congress and the BSP, two parties that often represent Dalit interests but have a history of uneasy alliances and bitter rivalries. Mayawati’s accusations of casteist bias are likely to further complicate efforts toward future collaborations between the two parties.
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