Mayawati sets out Delhi poll agenda

Mayawati aims to attract purvanchali voters in Delhi elections, predicting "shocking" results while criticizing rivals and pledging social justice.

LUCKNOW

BSP chief Mayawati at the press conference in Lucknow. (HT Photo)

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday said the party will seek to tap into the Capital’s purvanchali voter base, i.e. migrant voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in the upcoming Delhi elections, predicting positively “shocking” results for the party.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow on her 69th birthday, Mayawati urged the public to vote for a party that prioritises welfare and inclusive governance, reminding people of hardships faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Raising concerns of possible electoral malpractice and EVM tampering, she said: “The BSP is fighting with full determination. If the elections are fair, the results will be shocking.”

A senior BSP leader said that the party is likely to contest all 70 seats in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, continuing its strategy from 2020. Historically, the BSP had secured two seats and 14.05% of the vote share in the 2008 polls, a performance influenced by its 206-seat win in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. However, the party struggled to maintain its momentum, securing just 1.30% of the vote in 2015 and a record low of 0.71% in 2020.

Mayawati also dismissed the opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) coalition, calling it a gathering of parties driven by personal ambitions. “These coalitions lack a genuine agenda for the people. The BSP remains the only real alternative to the BJP,” she said.

She also accused the BJP-led central government and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi of ignoring the needs of migrants from neighbouring states.

Concluding her address, Mayawati reiterated her commitment to social justice and public welfare, urging Delhi voters to support the BSP for a government that prioritises the needs of all sections of society.