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Maya re-elected BSP national president
BSP chief Mayawati re-elected as national president for the sixth term, dismisses retirement rumors, and emphasizes the party's focus on SC/ST/OBC reservations.
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was unanimously re-elected as the national president of the party for the sixth term in the party Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting held in the BSP state unit office on Tuesday.
The development came a day after Mayawati dismissed rumours about her retirement from active politics. In a press statement on Monday, the BSP chief said that she would remain active in politics till her last breath. She dismissed claims that her nephew Akash Anand would succeed her, paving the way for her retirement.
Akash Anand, who is the national coordinator of the party and Anand Kumar (brother of Mayawati) attended the CEC meeting in which BSP senior office-bearers of all India level and state party units as also representatives selected from all over the country were present. Cut-outs of Akash were installed along with those of Mayawati on the roads leading to the BSP office, a clear indication of the increasing graph of Akash in the BSP and a message to the party cadre that her political heir would be at helm of affairs in the party.
Mayawati released a 56-page appeal in the form of booklet penned by her, titled ‘Bahujan Samaj Party Appeal- It is Necessary to Save Real Granth of Bahujan in the Country- Constitution, and Welfare Movement of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar from INDIA Alliance of Congress and NDA of BJP and from other selfish elements’ in the CEC meeting.
Addressing the party leaders, the BSP chief reiterated her resolve to work in the interest of the BSP movement and dignity of Bahujan. “We will never stop nor compromise, let alone break down in the relentless effort for obtaining the master key of power to achieve the goal set by Bhimrao Ambedkar for building an equalitarian society,” she said.
Speaking on the political situation in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said the results of 2024 Lok Sabha elections were not in favour of any political party in Uttar Pradesh. The results had created new political possibilities in the state politics, she said.
The BSP had to continue its efforts to secure better results in future by expanding its mass base. “It is necessary to unite Bahujan and keep them aligned with the BSP and its movement. There should be no lack of effort and selfishness in its way. The party leadership will regularly review the working of the organization,” she said.
The works of public welfare done during the four-term BSP government in Uttar Pradesh were excellent and unforgettable examples on the basis of which the BSP could seek support of the people, she said.
Mayawati called upon the party leaders to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi with full strength and determination. “The BSP has to contest the elections against both the BJP and the Congress to emerge as a balancing power. The Dalits will have to learn to trust their own party- the BSP, else they would be exploited by the BJP and the Congress,” she said.
The NDA government that came to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha election was far short off majority. It did not appear to be rational and liberal as demanded by the situation and it could not be called a stable and strong government. It was difficult to say that this government would work for real constitutional interest and welfare of the poor or continue to work for big capitalists and super rich, she said.
Slamming the NDA government, Mayawati said the indifferent attitude of the central government towards price rise, poverty, unemployment and turmoil in the country was because of failure of governance. It was clear that the condition in the country was not going to improve soon. “Their model of development and governance has mostly proved to be opposed to the poor, workers, farmers and bahujan. Expecting any good from the Congress will be like a mirage in the desert,” she said.
Like anti-Congressism in the past, the politics of the country had now become entangled in anti-BJPism. Both these parties and their alliances were not true well-wishers of bahujan, dalits, adivasis, OBCs, Muslims and other religious minorities, nor could they ever be so because their thinking about bahujan was narrow, casteist, communal and full of disdain. Under the rule of both these parties and their alliances there had been no improvement in the condition of bahujan, the BSP chief said.
Mayawati made it clear that SC/ ST/ OBC reservation would be the main plank of the BSP campaign in the coming elections. She said the pursuit of improvement in the social, economic and educational condition of the weaker sections through constitutional provisions of reservation continued to be stuck at the minimal level.
“Both BJP and Congress have joined hands under a conspiracy to render the provision of reservation ineffective. Under their governments, the backlog of vacant posts has not been cleared. This situation is not only very sad but worrisome. It is necessary to continue a campaign on the reservation issue,” she said.
The Bahujan Samaj was emerging as a political force for protecting its constitutional interest and welfare. The attitude of these (rival) parties towards the BSP remained extremely casteist and conspiratorial. Due to division of votes BSP remains away from power.. This process covertly became sharper after the formation of the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh in 2007-2012. The conspiracy was witnessed in the recent Lok Sabha general elections. The BSP failed to check the BJP from forming a casteist and arrogant government.
Had the BSP fought strongly in the election, such a circumstance could have been avoided and instead of any arrogant government in the country a pro-Bahujan and ‘majboor’ (dependent ) government would have been formed under which price rise, poverty, unemployment, exploitation and helplessness could have been checked, she said.
Both the BJP and the Congress and their alliances made protection of the Constitution an electoral issue though they never spared any effort in neglecting directives and objectives of the Constitution, she said.
Mayawati releases booklet
Mayawati released a booklet penned by her titled “Bahujan Samaj Party Appeal- It is Necessary to Save Real Granth of Bahujan in Country, Constitution, and welfare Movement of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar from INDI Alliance of Congress and NDA of BJP and from other selfish elements”. The booklet was distributed among the BSP leaders who attended the meeting.
Mayawati said the benefit of whatever claims the government was making about development of the country was going to only a handful of capitalists and rich, while the remaining people were distressed due to poverty, price rise and backwardness. The biggest problem was the wrong intention and policies of the BJP government like that of the Congress.
“If their governance model and claim of development are not able to increase income of the people, nor able to provide proper means of livelihood, then how will the people get freedom from abject poverty, unemployment and forced migration?” she said.
“At the same time, security of women in the entire country, including UP, is emerging as a very big national problem for which only statements and rhetoric are not going to help. Rather the Centre and state governments need to work with proper intention and policy,” she said.
“ So far as the decision of the Supreme Court on August 1 for sub-classification and introduction of a new rule of creamy layer in the constitutional provision for reservation for the SCs and STs is concerned, no concrete steps have been taken by the Centre to continue the old arrangement according to public expectation which is extremely sad and unfortunate,” she said.
Despite ‘Bharat Bandh’ on August 21, the central government was not serious about amendments at its level. This was improper. An extremely poor presentation of the case in the Supreme Court and now not taking any proper step to bring a Constitution amendment Bill on this also proved that the anti-reservation attitude of the BJP towards reservation of the SCs/STs and OBC was still continuing with the same intensity as before, she said.
The silence of the Congress, Samajwadi Party and their INDIA alliance was equally mysterious. “It is proved again that in respect of the real interest, welfare and uplift of the people of the SCs/STs and OBC society, the thinking of all of them is relentlessly casteist and full of animosity. They are birds of a feather and the interests of the SC/ ST classes is secure only with the BSP. People must remain alert and should not get cheated by their deception of saving the Constitution and reservation like during the Lok Sabha general elections,” she said.
