SP, BSP on collision course

War of words intensifies between top leaders

After a lull of about a month, the two arch political rivals in Uttar Pradesh - the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)- appear to be heading on a collision course .

The war of words is intensifying between the leaders of the two parties, hotting up the political scene ahead of the first session of the newly constituted state Assembly.

The leaders of the two main players in the state politics have been involved in a verbal duel  over the past few days ever  since the SP government alleged the BSP supremo Mayawati’s complicity in the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam.

Although Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had earlier made it clear that there would be no ‘witch hunting’ and the law would be allowed to take its own course, a few of his party leaders indicated that they were eager to take ‘revenge’ for what they felt their ‘humiliation’ and ‘persecution’ at the hands of the previous Mayawati led BSP regime.

“We can take account of the money later on...we have not yet taken revenge upon Mayawati for our humiliation during her regime,” said senior minister and SP leader Azam Khan. Khan implied that for him taking ‘revenge’ was more necessary than investigations into the alleged scams during Mayawati’s term.

Many other state ministers-Shivpal Singh Yadav, Ahmed Hasan and others have also alleged that Mayawati will go to jail as she too was involved in the scams, evoking a sharp protest from the BSP leaders.

“The SP leaders suffer from a BSP mania...the SP ministers should stop leveling baseless allegations against Mayawati,” the BSP leaders said terming the allegation against Mayawati as a ‘figment of imagination.’  “SP government should focus on improving the law and order situation, which has worsened after the SP assumed office...the goonda raj has returned,” said BSP leaders. 

The BSP leaders maintain that the state government has done precious little since it assumed office. They quote Mirza Ghalib to buttress their contention: ‘Jo kuch nahin karte, kamal karte hain (those, who do not do anything, do miracles).’

Many senior officials, who were close to Mayawati, have also found themselves on the receiving end of the current dispensation. Former cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh is also facing the heat.