E-Paper
Ensure BSP win in civic, other polls: Mayawati to party cadre
The BSP chief was speaking after paying her tribute to party founder the late Kanshi Ram on his 16th death anniversary in U.P. capital
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday virtually tasked her still loyal dalit vote bank with the responsibility of ensuring her party does well in civic elections and all forthcoming polls while accusing the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of neglecting dalit memorials built during her four stints as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Reminding her community that power was important for the success of her “mission” to uplift the community, she exhorted the community to work in that direction. The occasion was the 16th death anniversary of her mentor and BSP founder Kanshi Ram (1934-2006). After paying tribute to him at the party office at 12 Mall Avenue road in Lucknow, Mayawati emphasised the importance of ensuring her party came back to “power”.
“The people of U.P. have seen how during the four previous terms of my government, things became easy for them. So, now they have realised that power is that key which unlocks prosperity and all locked doors. Hence, this missionary campaign should continue at all costs,” she said.
The civic elections in U.P. are likely by year-end and Mayawati made a mention of these elections in which her party had won two mayoral seats in 2017. Aware of the fact that several of her closest aides had parted ways with her over the years, Mayawati exhorted her party cadre to not bother about such desertions.
“Who left, who didn’t come … instead of bothering about such selfish people, keep moving forward with confidence. The Bahujan movement was alive and vibrant yesterday, it is so today and that’s how it will remain,” she said on the occasion.
Mayawati also spoke of how during her government, she got a memorial in memory of Kanshi Ram and an eco-garden, also named after her mentor, built in the state capital.
“Besides, my government also built Kanshi Ram Yaadgaar Vishram Sthal, Bahujan Naik Park along with a Buddha Vihaar Shanti Upvan in Lucknow where a tall statue of Kanshi Ram ji was installed. These places helped beautify the state capital besides being a place for great tourist attraction. Yet, owing to political reasons these memorials were neglected both by the then Samajwadi Party government as well as the present BJP government,” she claimed.
