Lucknow: Mayawati, the chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has reaffirmed her party's decision to maintain a "complete distance" from both the ruling NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the opposition INDIA bloc for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year. In a statement released by the BSP's Uttar Pradesh unit on Sunday, Mayawati discussed the party's readiness for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and emphasized the need for the BSP to strengthen itself independently. During the discussions, Mayawati made it clear that the BSP should focus on strengthening itself while keeping a significant distance from both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc. She urged party members to remain vigilant against fake news and propaganda from anti-BSP elements and to take precautions to ensure the party's election preparedness is not compromised. Mayawati acknowledged the BJP government's new election strategy but noted that people continue to face issues such as inflation, extreme poverty, unemployment, declining incomes, poor infrastructure, law and order problems, and inadequate healthcare and education facilities. She expressed uncertainty about whether these issues would become significant election topics, suggesting that both the BJP and Congress have similar attitudes when it comes to public interest and welfare, which she described as anti-people. Mayawati also voiced concerns about efforts to undermine reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). She emphasized that reservations should not merely be tied to addressing unemployment or superficial changes. As long as unequal intentions and policies persist in both the government and society, the actual benefits of reservations will remain elusive and exist only on paper, she argued. Furthermore, Mayawati strongly objected to the government's use of bulldozer actions against individuals, which she claimed were being used to punish families before a person is even convicted. She criticized the closure of educational institutions and hospitals associated with such individuals as extremely anti-people and malicious actions by the government. Mayawati's statements reflect her party's commitment to charting its own course and strengthening its position in the upcoming elections, keeping a distance from both the ruling coalition and the opposition alliance. Specially-Abled Man, Mohammed Kamar Riyaz, Detained for Unruly Behavior on IndiGo Flight Court Hearing Scheduled: Rahul Gandhi's Remarks on Veer Savarkar Under Review Anti-India and Anti-Hindu Slogans Deface JNU Campus Walls Again