Modi factor will not benefit BJP, says Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Thursday ruled out any political benefit to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in case it filed Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate. The Modi factor will come a cropper for the party, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, adding that in Uttar Pradesh, the upper castes had realized that the BSP was the best party to safeguard their interests and welfare. Speaking earlier at the 'Brahman Bhaichara Samiti' meet at the residence of party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, she assured the upper castes of her continued support and protection to them. Later, talking to media persons, Mayawati said that outcome of the next general elections would be "stunning and pleasant" and the country would witness a new political churning. She, however, refused to predict the tally of the BSP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, saying that she was not an astrologer. But she added that she could feel an undercurrent of support for her party and against the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in the state. Mayawati also refused to directly comment on a question whether the Congress should announce its prime ministerial candidate, saying this question should be put to parties who are part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The BSP was an outside supporter of the ruling dispensation at the centre, she noted.