Political temperature in UP soar over 2 Congress leaders unplanned visit to Mayawati residence, SC deptt chief says he went to know BSP supremo well being

Even as Congress incharge Avinash Pandey sought clarification from party’s SC department chief Rajendra Pal Gautam and party Lok Sabha MP from Barabanki Tanuj Punia over going to Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati residence, both of them responded saying that they went to just ask for her good health and there was no political agenda behind it. 

The political para in Lucknow soared on Tuesday after Gautam and Punia reached outside the residence of Mayawati in Lucknow’s Mall Road and sought time from her to meet. 

However the two leaders could not meet Mayawati, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister as they didn’t had any prior appointment. 

But the two leaders visiting residence of Mayawati irked the Congress leaders and party incharge Pandey seeking clarification over the same. 

According to sources, Pandey sought clarification from both the leaders and he himself posted the views of Punia from his own X handle. 

Meanwhile, speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Gautam defended his move of trying to meet Mayawati. 

He said that he was at Lucknow party’s headquarters on Tuesday to hold the meeting to discuss the unveiling the statue of Veer Passi in Rae Bareli on Wednesday as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha was to attend the programme. 

Gautam said, “We had just left from the party office for lunch around 3 p.m. with Punia and others and we were passing through her residence and thus I decided to inquire about her health as she is one of the senior leaders associated with the cause of Dalits and Ambedkar followers across the country. 

“The security at her residence noted our names and said that we will convey your message to her as we could not meet her without prior appointment,” he said. 

When asked his attempt to meet Mayawati just ahead of crucial polls in Uttar Pradesh next year and Samajwadi Party already a partner of Congress there, and if he wants BSP to join the alliance, he said, “We all know that Ambedkar ji has made the Constitution and if the constitution and democracy is destroyed, then what will be left. So I think, whoever fights for the cause of saving Constitution and democracy must join hands together.”

He, however, said that his visit was non political. 

The Congress insiders, meanwhile, asserted that the unplanned visit of Gautam and Punia had put the party’s relations with the Samajwadi Party on testing terms. 

He pointed out that Congress is already preparing for the big battle next year in alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and this kind of miscalculated step would prove costly and dent its prospects. 

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party as part of the INDIA bloc had together won 37 and six seats respectively in Uttar Pradesh while the BJP was reduced to 33 from 62 seats in 2019. 

Congress and Samajwadi Party are eyeing to make a comeback in the political sensitive state in the next year assembly polls.