Mayawati back to Dalit agenda to revive party

Gives Upper House tickets to two from the community

After a severe drubbing in the recent elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party President Mayawati seems to have returned to her ‘Dalit agenda’ in a desperate bid to revive the party.

A hint to this effect was visible on Wednesday when she nominated Raja Ram and Veer Singh, both Dalits, for the two Rajya Sabha seats from UP ignoring strong contenders from the upper castes.

The BSP chief also said she had given tickets to the Dalits as she had no other option.
“We can ensure win for only two candidates with our current strength in the UP Assembly. A ticket to the person of some other caste would have sent a wrong message,” she said.

Party sources said Brahmin leaders like Brijesh Pathak were strong contenders, but were ignored.

“It was clearly evident in the Lok Sabha elections and in the recent by-elections in the state that the BSP was losing grip over the Dalit votes,” a senior BSP leader told Deccan Herald.

“There is a feeling in the Dalit community that BSP was now preferring upper caste leaders,” the leader added.

“For a party, which had succeeded in winning support of the Dalits only because of its staunch opposition to the upper case domination, the makeover was a shock to the Dalits,” the leader confided.

“It is good that behenji (Mayawati) has realised it,” the leader remarked.

“Nomination of two Dalits will certainly give a strong message to the community that BSP was returning to its old and tested Dalit agenda,” he added.

Seeks President’s rule

BSP President Mayawati on Wednesday reiterated her demand for imposition of President’s rule in the state, reports PTI.

“I want to repeat that as the situation of development and law and order in the state is dismal, the governor should send the proper report and recommend imposition of President’s rule in the state,” Mayawati told newspersons here.

“Every day there are reports of murders and crimes from different parts of the state, which has also had an impact on development,” she said.

In order to divert attention from the issue, the state government is announcing big schemes which would remain only in the files, she said, adding the government has even withdrawn their own good schemes.

Taking credit for the ambitious Lucknow Metro project, Mayawati said work on it has started late as all its planning and funding had been done by the previous government, headed by her.

Mayawati also condemned the Akhilesh government for construction of a railway overbridge which passes in front of the BSP office in the posh Mall Avenue area, calling it symbolic of mean, disgusting and cheap mentality which needs to be denounced.

On being queried if on coming to power she would do the same by getting one made before the residence of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati quipped she “will reply when the time comes”.