Mayawati shares stage with Mulayam, berates Modi

Mainpuri, April 19 (IANS) Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday shared a stage for the first time in 25 years where the BSP chief praised the Samajwadi Party founder and dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a fake backward".

Addressing a public meeting in Mainpuri, Mulayam Singh Yadav's bastion, after a 48-hour curb on her by the Election Commission ended on Thursday, Mayawati thundered: "Mulayam Singh is not a fake backward like Modi.

"He (Mulayam) is a real backward as he was born in a backward community while Modi is a fake backward and everyone knows that during his tenure in Gujarat he made his forward community backward," she said.

Burying a quarter century of political animosity, Mayawati appealed to the voters to ensure the victory of Mulayam Singh Yadav from Mainpuri with a record margin and accused the BJP of diverting the attention of the people from real issues.

"Now their (BJP) theatrics and rhetoric will no more work. Their new theatrics of chowkidari will also fail in this Lok Sabha election."

Targeting the Congress too, Mayawati called its NYAY scheme "a drama".

"Congress remained in power at the Centre for over 60 years but they did not work and they were thrown out. And now to get votes of the poor they are promising money to them. This will also not get them votes."

Mayawati referred to the episode at a guest house in Lucknow that brought cracks in the BSP-SP alliance.

"Despite the episode, we are fighting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in an alliance... At times looking at the country's future one has to take difficult decisions in larger interest."

Mulayam Singh Yadav earlier welcomed Mayawati and thanked her for supporting the Samajwadi Party.

"Today Mayawatiji has come and we welcome her. Always respected Mayawatiji because even in bad times she has always stood by our side. And I am happy that she has come in my support."