Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati has said that candidates of her party are not contesting to make someone win or lose the election but are in the contest to win themselves.
Addressing a public meeting in Mainpuri on Thursday, at the same Christian College ground where she addressed a public meeting in 2019, when she sought votes for her once archrival, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, she targeted those spreading false propaganda that BSP candidates were not going to win but will affect the results of other parties. Mayawati said that the reverse will happen, and the other two parties (SP and BJP) might be left at second and third position.
Mayawati sought the support of her party candidates -- Shiv Prasad Yadav from Mainpuri, Mohd Irfan from Etah and Chaudhary Bashir from Firozabad.
Mayawati began her speech saying, “We are contesting on our own in this election with full preparedness. We have given tickets with proper representation to Sarv Samaj (all sections of society) and the party cadre is working for the success of party candidates.
“For Mainpuri and nearby Etah and Firozabad parliamentary seats, we have fielded candidates. They are not contesting to make any candidate win or lose but are in the fray to win the election for BSP.”
{{/usCountry}}“For Mainpuri and nearby Etah and Firozabad parliamentary seats, we have fielded candidates. They are not contesting to make any candidate win or lose but are in the fray to win the election for BSP.”
{{/usCountry}}‘Kahin ulta hi na ho jaye....ye doosri parties jo aisa keh rahin wo kahin doosre aur teesre number par na aa jayen.....aur BSP jeet jaye (What if other parties (SP and BJP) making such statements come in second and third, while the BSP wins the Mainpuri seat,” said Mayawati amidst applause.
“Seeing the crowd here, I am confident that like past elections, you supporters will bring a good result for the party,” she said.
“Whenever BSP comes to power in the Centre, it will carry out sincere work as done in UP in four terms. Free ration is not going to help poor and employment is the only thing which can improve the condition of those poor. No harassment of Muslims will be allowed in the name of Hindutva in our rule,” she claimed.
“There were no Hindu-Muslim riots during BSP tenure in UP. During different festivals there was no disturbance. When the Ram Janmabhoomi judgement of Allahabad high court came in 2010, BSP was in power in Uttar Pradesh and all went peacefully while other parts of the nation had offices, shops shut,” she recalled.
“We never required bulldozers to maintain law and order and did it through lawful process,” she claimed.
Polling in Mainpuri, Etah and Firozabad is to take place on May 7 in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
She blamed the BJP for caste and religion-based politics which has left many, including Muslims, having a tough time. On the issue of reservation, she alleged that vacant posts are not being filled. Unfortunately, reservation in promotions ended during SP rule in Uttar Pradesh. Most of the work in the govt sector is handed over to the private sector depriving masses of reservation.
“Religious minorities are having a bad time because of the BJP being in power at the Centre and certain states. Minorities are being targeted in the name of Hindutva. Wrong economic policies have affected small and medium level traders. Inflation and corruption is at an all-time high. Congress, BJP and their allies should not be allowed to come to power in this election,” she said.
Like the Congress, BJP too have politicised central govt investigation agencies. Farmers are harassed, she said, adding, now the BJP is in power but because of their caste, religiously biased policy, it seems that they will find it tough to return to power if elections are held freely and fairly.