india

Updated: Nov 08, 2019 00:28 IST

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has withdrawn an over-two-decade-old case against Samajwadi Party (SP)’s Mulayam Singh Yadav in the infamous guest house fracas of 1995 that soured the relations between the two parties and turned them rivals in Uttar Pradesh’s political stage before they briefly joined hands for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, at least two BSP leaders said on Thursday. 

However, there was no confirmation from the SP, whose alliance with the BSP snapped about five months ago after the coalition’s below-par performance in the national polls. 

BSP national general secretary SC Mishra confirmed that his party chief had withdrawn the case lodged against former CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, but did not give any details. 

Another BSP leader, who did not wish to be named, said after the SP-BSP stitched a pre-poll alliance on January 12, SP national president Akhilesh Yadav urged Mayawati to withdraw the case lodged against his father for the June 2, 1995 incident. 

Mayawati, who shared stage with Mulayam during the poll campaign, had assured Akhilesh that she would fulfil his request, the BSP leader said. 

The SP’s chief spokesperson, Rajendra Chaudhary, said: “I am not aware of it yet.  Will find out about it tomorrow and say anything after that.”  Another BSP leader said the case was pending in the Supreme Court. 

After the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, then SP chief Mulayam and then BSP chief Kanshi Ram formed an alliance to contest the 1993 assembly elections against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

The BSP-SP alliance won 176 seats of 425 seats (at that time Uttarakhand was part of UP) and formed a government with Congress support.  Mulayam became the CM. 

But differences started cropping up.  BJP leaders met Mayawati and offered her the CM’s post if the BSP joined hands with their party.  On June 2, 1995, Mayawati called a meeting of her party MLAs at the Meerabai guesthouse in Lucknow.  SP leaders and workers reached the gues thouse and allegedly attacked it. 

Mayawati and some BSP MLAs locked themselves in a room of the guest house.  Later, she was rescued by BJP leaders.  A case was registered at a Lucknow police station.