Maya fast tracks Lok Sabha nominee selection

Buoyed by the success of her recent rally in Lucknow and apprehending early general elections, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has fast tracked selection of the party nominees for the Lok Sabha polls.

According to the BSP leaders here, the party’s candidates list might well be announced by the end of this month.

“Almost all MPs are likely to get re-nominated. Some names for other seats have also been finalised and a hunt is on for suitable nominees for the rest,” a senior leader said.
Mayawati’s close aide and party general secretary Naseemuddin Siddique has been entrusted with the responsibility of gathering feedback from the district units and coordinators and recommend panel names for different constituencies.

Siddique, who visited Lakhimpur-Kheri district on Sunday, announced names of nominees for the two Lok Sabha seats in the district.

Flood of requests

Sources said the party supremo has been flooded with requests by senior leaders for tickets for their family members.

“Siddique is seeking ticket for his son Afzal Siddique from Fatehpur while former minister Raveer Upadhyaya wants ticket for his brother Mukul Upadhyay from Ghaziabad,” sources said.

Although the BSP has been extending outside support to the Congress-led UPA government at the centre, Mayawati feels that the Union government may not last its full term and an early Lok Sabha polls could take place.

At the recent rally, he had asked the party leaders and workers to start their preparations for the polls.

“The success of the rally has sent a positive signal to the BSP cadre. It has been able to lift the sagging morale of the party workers,” the leader said adding that Mayawati feels that the anti incumbency factor will set in soon and that the BSP will stand to gain in the polls.

Dalit vote bank

The BSP chief is likely to concentrate on her core Dalit vote bank this time rather than experimenting with the ‘sarvajan formula’, which had paid rich dividends to her in the 2007 Assembly polls. Party leaders here say that Mayawati’s strong protest in the Parliament over Supreme Court’s recent judgement scrapping reservation in promotions was a pointer in this direction.

She is also focusing on the most backward castes (MBCs) as was evident when she appointed Ram Achal Rajbhar as the state unit president.