Civic polls: Maya to review party’s preparedness

BSP chief will also take a decision on the candidature of Shaista Parveen, wife of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, for the mayor’s post in Prayagraj.

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati will review on Sunday the preparations of her party for the upcoming urban local bodies’ elections.

Earlier, in a tweet in February, Mayawati had said that her party would expel Shaista Parveen if she was proved guilty in the ongoing investigation of Umesh Pal murder case. (Pic for representation)

Senior party leaders and office-bearers of the district and division units will attend the meeting to be held in the state unit office. The meeting is being held after the state government on Thursday issued a draft notification for reservation in the urban local bodies’ poll. “The BSP chief will give instructions on the campaign strategy and selection of the candidates for the civic polls, said a BSP leader.

The BSP chief will also take a decision on the candidature of Shaista Parveen, wife of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, for the mayor’s post in Prayagraj. Named in the FIR lodged in the killing of Umesh Pal, Parveen is on the run. The state police have announced a reward on her and launched a manhunt to track the killers. According to sources, the office-bearers of BSP’s Prayagraj district unit, in their report to Mayawati, have recommended Parveen’s expulsion and withdrawal of her candidature.

Earlier, in a tweet in February, Mayawati had said that her party would expel Shaista Parveen if she was proved guilty in the ongoing investigation of Umesh Pal murder case. After conviction of Atiq by court in Umesh Pal kidnapping case and manhunt launched by the police to trace Parveen and her son (also wanted in the case), pressure has increased on the BSP chief to take a final decision on Parveen. The rival parties- the BJP and SP- have launched an attack on the BSP for fielding a murder accuse in the civic polls.

Shaista Parveen and her sons had joined the BSP in the first week of January. The BSP planned to field her for mayor’s post in the urban local bodies’ election. When asked about Shaista joining the BSP, Mayawati had replied that Atiq Ahmed was a mafia but his wife was not.