No cross-voting, claims Mayawati

LUCKNOW, MAY 5. The Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Ms. Mayawati, today claimed her party was the only one which has emerged unblemished in the biennial Vidhan Parishad elections while all the parties including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had to face embarrassment of cross voting.

Addressing a press conference here, she said contrary to the media reports before the election, not a single member of the BSP indulged in cross voting.'' In fact both the BSP members were through due to cross voting in favour of our party,'' she added.

She said the first preference votes her second party candidate got included 11 of the Congress, three of Samajwadi Party, one each of the BJP, the Janata Dal and an Independent.

Extending thanks to the congress for their support, the Bsp leader said that against the promised 23 votes, 12 of Congress members cross voted. ``I have already spoken to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on telephone and given her the names of the Congress members who had not voted for the BSP,'' she said.

Asked how she could make out who had voted in favour or against, she said the election officials involved in the counting had furnished her the details, which were the result of secret coding system evolved by the BSP. She, however, refused to say anything further.

Ms. Mayawati said in return for the Congress support, her party would vote in favour of the Congress candidate for Vidhan Parishad seat from the Mirzapur local body segment.

- UNI

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Section  : Regional
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