BSP chief Mayawati campaigning in UP
Lucknow:
Uttar Pradesh politician Mayawati's party has ruled out any tie-up with Narendra Modi after the election.
SC Mishra, a top strategist of the Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP, says the party will focus on winning as many seats as possible for now.
"There is no question of supporting the BJP or Modi after the polls," Mr Mishra told NDTV in Lucknow.
He added, however, that questions on post-poll scenarios can't be addressed right now.
Uttar Pradesh, with 80 seats in the Lok Sabha, is crucial to Mr Modi's plans to take power at the Centre.
Mayawati, who had partnered with the BJP in the past, has said India will be "ruined with communal riots" if Mr Modi comes to power. (read)
The former chief minister has been criticising the BJP's prime ministerial candidate routinely, but some analysts say that the attacks have been mild by her standards, a sign that she is keeping her options open.
Mayawati's public denials of any possibility of helping the BJP, insiders say, is a message to voters from the minority community, which can be a deciding factor in at least 10 seats. The Samajwadi Party has been using the BSP's past tie-ups with the BJP to win over Muslims. (read: The Narendra Modi factor in Mayawati's balancing act)
The BSP is banking on a Dalit-Muslim combination to win it a considerable number of seats this time, aware that the upper caste voters may veer towards the BJP.
The BJP and Mr Modi have been accused by rivals of trying to exploit the September Muzaffarnagar riots to polarise voters.
14 parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh are voting today in the seventh round of the national election. Among the most high-profile candidates are Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief Rajnath Singh and senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
SC Mishra, a top strategist of the Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP, says the party will focus on winning as many seats as possible for now.
"There is no question of supporting the BJP or Modi after the polls," Mr Mishra told NDTV in Lucknow.
He added, however, that questions on post-poll scenarios can't be addressed right now.
Uttar Pradesh, with 80 seats in the Lok Sabha, is crucial to Mr Modi's plans to take power at the Centre.
Mayawati, who had partnered with the BJP in the past, has said India will be "ruined with communal riots" if Mr Modi comes to power. (read)
The former chief minister has been criticising the BJP's prime ministerial candidate routinely, but some analysts say that the attacks have been mild by her standards, a sign that she is keeping her options open.
Mayawati's public denials of any possibility of helping the BJP, insiders say, is a message to voters from the minority community, which can be a deciding factor in at least 10 seats. The Samajwadi Party has been using the BSP's past tie-ups with the BJP to win over Muslims. (read: The Narendra Modi factor in Mayawati's balancing act)
The BSP is banking on a Dalit-Muslim combination to win it a considerable number of seats this time, aware that the upper caste voters may veer towards the BJP.
The BJP and Mr Modi have been accused by rivals of trying to exploit the September Muzaffarnagar riots to polarise voters.
14 parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh are voting today in the seventh round of the national election. Among the most high-profile candidates are Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief Rajnath Singh and senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
