Maya to launch Delhi poll campaign on February 3

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati will launch her party’s campaign for the Delhi assembly elections with a rally at the Talkatora stadium on February 3, a senior party leader said on Wednesday. Polling is scheduled on February 8.

HT Image

The party’s national general secretary Ashok Siddharth said the BSP chief will address around half-a-dozen rallies in various assembly constituencies.

“On February 3, she will address a rally at Talkatora stadium. The dates and venues of the remaining rallies will be finalised soon,” he said.

BSP state unit president Laxman Singh said the party candidates had filed nominations for all the 70 seats.

The party has submitted a list of 40 star campaigners to the Election Commission, including Mayawati, her brother Anand Kumar, who is the party’s national vice-president, her nephew Aakash Kumar, who is the national coordinator, and national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra.

After celebrating her 64th birthday in Lucknow on January 15, Mayawati left for Delhi. She has been camping in the national capital since then, giving final touches to the party’s election strategy.

The BSP leaders from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan have been directed to campaign in Delhi. The BSP has appointed senior leaders as zonal coordinators for seven zones in the capital. The party’s Delhi unit general secretary Satish Kumar will coordinate with these zonal coordinators.

During the campaign, the BSP will highlight the “failure of the NDA government on national issues” and “the failure of the Aam Adami Party (AAP) government in Delhi to fulfill the promises made to people, especially the weaker sections”, Siddharth said.

“To deprive the schedule castes of their rights, the BJP is trying to amend the Constitution. The BSP will give a call to the people to save the Constitution drafted by Bhimrao Ambedkar,” Siddharth said.

Although AAP has announced several freebies to voters, the BSP has decided to highlight the alleged neglect of the slums and areas dominated by the Dalits, backwards, Muslims and migrants.

These localities lacked basic amenities like electricity, water supply, electricity and schools, Siddharth said, adding the party will also highlight the spurt in cases of crime against women.

The BSP has appointed booth level agents on all the seats to ensure that party supporters exercise their franchise. “Excellent law and order under the BSP government in UP from 2007-12 and launch of various development projects for the have-nots will be also highlighted in the campaign,” Laxman Singh said.

The BSP has fielded four women and three Muslim candidates. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Narayan Dutt Sharma from Badarpur will contest on the same seat on the BSP ticket.

In the 2015 assembly election, the BSP had fielded candidates on 70 seats but the candidates forfeited their deposit on 69 seats as an Aam Aadmi Party wave swept the polls. The BSP bagged 1.30% votes five years ago.

In the 2013 assembly election, the BSP fielded candidates on 69 seats and lost the deposit on 63 seats. The party polled 5.35% votes then. In the 2008 assembly election, the BSP won two seats and polled 14.05% votes.

A senior BSP leader said with the expansion of AAP among the voters residing in the slums and rural areas of Delhi, the BSP lost its support base in the capital. The party was working hard to recover the lost base in the assembly election, he said.