Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has accused the Congress of acting as the BJP’s "B team" in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, blaming the party for facilitating the BJP’s return to power in the capital after 27 years. In a series of tweets on Friday, she lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier criticized her for staying away from the opposition-led INDIA bloc.Mayawati claimed that the Congress’s decision to contest in Delhi directly benefited the BJP. "It’s a common discussion that this time, the Congress contested the Delhi elections as BJP's B team, which helped BJP regain power here. Otherwise, Congress’s condition would not have been so bad that it could not even save deposits for most of its candidates," she wrote in Hindi.
 

She further dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about her role in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, advising him to focus on his own party instead of attacking the BSP. "Instead of pointing fingers at others, especially at the BSP, he should analyze his own party’s failures. This is my advice to him," she tweeted.Mayawati also addressed the newly formed BJP government in Delhi, warning it to deliver on its election promises, particularly those concerning public welfare and development. "If the BJP fails to fulfill its commitments, it may end up in a situation as bad as the Congress," she cautioned.The fresh war of words erupted after Rahul Gandhi, while interacting with Dalit students in Rae Bareli, suggested that the BJP would not have won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections if Mayawati had joined the INDIA bloc. "I wanted Behenji to fight alongside us against the BJP, but for some reason, she did not. That was deeply disappointing. If all three parties had united, the BJP would never have won," he said.
 

Mayawati, however, hit back at his statement, accusing the Congress of harboring a "casteist mindset and dual character." She alleged that the party only seeks alliances with the BSP in states where it is weak but remains hostile towards it where it holds power. "Wherever the Congress is strong or in power, it harbors hostility toward the BSP and its followers. But in states like UP, where it is weak, it tries to mislead people by talking about an alliance with the BSP. If this is not hypocrisy, then what is?" she wrote.She also pointed out that past alliances with the Congress had been detrimental to her party, stating that BSP’s voter base was transferred to the Congress, but Congress voters did not reciprocate the support. "Whenever BSP has contested elections in UP and other states in alliance with casteist parties like Congress, our base vote has been transferred to them, but they have not been able to transfer their votes to BSP. This has always resulted in losses for us," she tweeted.Mayawati further accused both the BJP and Congress of policies that hinder India’s constitutional goal of equality and welfare. She alleged that both parties have historically opposed BR Ambedkar’s ideology, the BSP’s leadership, and the reservation system.
 

Interestingly, during his student interaction, Rahul Gandhi initially praised Mayawati, acknowledging BSP founder Kanshi Ram’s contribution to Indian politics and crediting Mayawati for building on his legacy.The Samajwadi Party and Congress contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together as part of the INDIA bloc, securing 43 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadi Party won 37 seats, while Congress secured six, significantly reducing the BJP’s seat count. In contrast, the BSP, which contested 79 constituencies, failed to win any seats.As the dispute escalated, BSP supporters in Rae Bareli put up posters demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against Mayawati. The posters accused him of "double standards," stating that while he portrays himself as a champion of Dalit rights, he simultaneously allows Congress leaders to undermine Mayawati’s political influence.The poster read, "Rahul Gandhi, enough of your double standards. On one hand, you claim to support Dalits, and on the other, you allow Congress leaders to attack Mayawati, who has served four terms as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and is regarded as a Dalit leader." It further warned, "Apologize, or the entire Dalit community will ensure you face the consequences."As tensions between Mayawati and Rahul Gandhi grow, the divide between the BSP and the INDIA bloc appears to widen. The political rivalry is likely to shape alliances and strategies for upcoming state elections, influencing the broader opposition's approach to countering the BJP in the future.