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UP polls: Maya flays rival parties, seeks votes on good governance promise
Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday urged voters to reject them all and vote for the BSP in the ongoing UP assembly polls as they had done in 2007
Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday urged voters to reject them all and vote for the BSP in the ongoing UP assembly polls as they had done in 2007. She further said it was only the BSP that could provide a corruption-and-criminal-free governance that could work for the development of the state and its people without any bias or discrimination.
Addressing a gathering at KP College ground here, Mayawati did not even spare the media which she alleged was spreading a “propaganda” against her and her party. She also claimed that her party was all set to form the next government in the state in a stark contrast to the “misleading” opinion polls being shared by the media.
The BSP had won just two (Pratappur and Handia in Prayagraj district) of the 22 seats in Prayagraj region during the 2017 assembly election while in 2012 it had won five seats, including three (Karachhana, Allahabad West and Koraon) out of the 12 seats in Prayagraj district and another two (Manjhanpur and Chail) in Kaushambi district.
She flayed the Congress for not honouring Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar with the Bharat Ratna when it was in power at the Centre. It is pertinent to mention here that Dr Ambedkar was conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously during the late PM VP Singh’s regime in 1990. She also alleged that the then Congress government at the Centre had not declared even a day’s mourning on the demise of BSP founder Kanshi Ram (1934-2006).
“Congress was ruling in most of the states and also at the Centre after independence but because of its policies, it was thrown out of power. The party ‘unsuccessfully’ portrays itself as a party in favour of dalits and the backwards but forgets them once it comes to power,” she alleged.
Targeting the Samajwadi Party, Mayawati accused it of promoting lawlessness and hooliganism. “Dalits face a tough time whenever SP comes to power in the state. To honour those held in high regard by dalits, certain districts were renamed by BSP during its regime but SP reversed this step of the BSP. They also took many other decisions against dalits like renaming welfare schemes named after people revered by the dalit community,” Mayawati said.
Terming the BJP a party with caste bias that promoted religious divide for votes, she alleged that unemployment and inflation had increased under the present regime. “The BSP represents all sections of the society and is committed to building a ‘sarv samaj’. It was in the BSP rule that dalits and backwards had their say and the party worked for the poor, the deprived and farmers. The BSP will resolve issues like unemployment and cases where innocents were framed will be re-investigated,” she said.
“The BSP will restore the changed names of districts and all criminals will be in jail. There will be no bias on the basis caste or religion,” she promised while cautioning supporters against “biased” media and its poll surveys. Mayawati also promised to restore old pension scheme for government employees that they have been demanding for years now.
She urged voters to remain wary of the efforts made by her rival parties to mislead them. “Unlike other parties that launch their manifestos with much fanfare and forget about it when they come to power, BSP does not believe in this. We believe in doing more and saying less,” she said.
