Maya to launch Maha campaign today
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati will launch her election campaign in Maharashtra on Monday.
In a Tweet, Mayawati said she would address an election rally on Indora ground in Nagpur on Monday in which large number of party supporters, workers, leaders and candidates would participate.
The BSP has mobilized its resources for the success of the rally telling its workers and leaders to ensure big participation.
In-charge of Maharashtra and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth said the BSP had fielded candidates on 264 assembly seats. “The party is contesting election on its own strength. It is the only party that has fielded candidates on 264 seats. We are hopeful of opening account in the assembly election, particularly in the Vidarbha region which considered a stronghold of the BSP. The BSP is hopeful of winning five seats in the election,” he said .
A senior BSP leader said there was a large concentration of the Dalit and tribal people in Vidarbha region. “In the past assembly elections, the party candidates had been able to poll 5,000 to 55,000 votes on the 62 seats in Vidarbha region. The party has taken care of the caste equation in the selection of the candidates. Division of votes among the BJP- Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP alliance will definitely benefit the party in grabbing the seats,” he said.
The BSP has strategically selected Nagpur to launch the election campaign of the party chief on October 14. On this date in 1956, architect of India’s constitution Bhimrao Ambedkar had converted to Buddhism along with around 35,000 followers in Nagpur in a traditional ceremony. Mayawati plans to evoke Ambedkar to win the support of the Dalit community.
Dalit based political parties, including Prakash Ambedkar led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Ramdas Athawale led Republican Party of India, are also in the fray.
In 2014 assembly elections, the BSP had fielded candidates on all 288 seats in Maharashtra. It failed to open account and polled 2.35 % vote. Though BSP candidates were pushed to fifth and sixth position on majority of the seats, the party made its presence felt in Vidarbha region, particularly the Nagpur area considered a hotbed of Ambedkar movement. BSP candidate were on second or third position on the six seats in Nagpur that is also headquarter of the RSS.
Besides, BSP candidate were on third position on Amravati, Armari, Arvi, Aurangabad Central, Ballarpur, Bhandara, Deoli, Dhamamgaon Railway, Hinghat, Ralegaon, Sohali, Savner, Umred, Wardha and Yavatmala seats.