By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Saturday said her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would not field controversial Samajwadi Party parliamentarian Atiq Ahmad in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“Our political rivals have spread rumours that Ahmad is going to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls on a BSP ticket. But I want to make it clear that he will not be allowed to contest as a BSP candidate under any circumstances,” Mayawati said during a rally in Bhadohi district.
She was campaigning for the by-elections in Bhadohi scheduled for Feb 26.
Atiq is in Naini jail in Allahabad district on charges of killing Raju Pal, a former BSP legislator from Allahabad.
“Pal was very dear to us. How can BSP allot a ticket to Ahmad who has been charged with killing of one of our activists?” said Mayawati.
Ahmad, an MP from Phoolpur in Allahabad district, had voted against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in July 2008 and announced that he would support the BSP chief.
Since then rumours were rife that Ahmad could contest the Lok Sabha polls on the BSP ticket.