Beni: BSP better than SP ‘goons’

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With two days to go for the Assembly results, senior Congress leader and Union minister Beni Prasad Verma sprang a surprise on Sunday by pleading for a post-poll alliance with the BSP to check the Samajwadi Party.
Mr Verma, the Congress’ OBC face in UP, suggested this a day after exit polls predicted a hung Assembly, with the SP emerging the largest single party. It was speculated this was to scuttle possible SP moves to seek Congress support to form a government.
The Congress quickly distanced itself, with spokespersons saying this was Mr Verma’s “personal view”. Mr Rashid Alvi said in New Delhi: “The party high command will decide after taking into account all aspects only after the results are out on March 6.”
Mr Verma, who quit the Samajwadis in 2007 after differences with Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, described the SP as a “party of goons”, and said in his view an alliance with the BSP would be a “thousand times better” than one with SP. He told a television channel: “I personally prefer the BSP to SP. Mayawati has controlled lawlessness from Kanpur to Etah. This is my personal opinion.”
He added: “The key to forming a government is with the Congress... If we have to form an alliance, I would prefer the BSP. The SP is a party of goons, the BSP is a party of dalits.”
Mr Verma added senior leader Digvijay Singh had also attacked the SP. “People of UP have not forgotten what they suffered in 2002-07 (during SP rule),” he said.