Backward classes will again rally behind BSP; I.N.D.I.A. bloc exposed: UP BSP chief

Lucknow: The BSP on Sunday claimed that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc has been "exposed" before the people of Uttar Pradesh as it has "not kept its poll promises", and termed the alliance and its rival NDA as two sides of the same coin, with one a "jumlebaaz" and the other a "maha jumlebaaz".

The Uttar Pradesh unit head of the BSP Vishwanath Pal also exuded confidence that his party will perform well in the bypolls to 10 seats in the state, and that that backward classes will again associate with the Mayawati-led party.

"There is no difference between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Before the (Lok Sabha) elections, the Congress and its allies in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc had promised that after winning polls, they will give 10 kg of free ration. The BJP promised 5 kg of ration. Then tell us what is the difference between Congress and BJP," Pal told PTI.

"If they (NDA) are 'jumlebaaz' (indulging in rhetoric) then you (I.N.D.I.A. bloc) are 'maha jumlebaaz'," he charged.

"They make false promises of giving 5 kg of ration, you give false hopes of giving 10 kg. You (I.N.D.I.A. bloc) are not saying we will give employment, we will fill the backlog of jobs, we will make education free. You are not at all saying this. They (BJP) were saying they will give a 'samman nidhi' of Rs 2,000; while you (Congress) were saying you will give Rs 8,500 per month," Pal said.

Though the Congress has not formed the government at the Centre, it can give all these facilities in the states, where they have a government, he said.

"But they are not doing this and it means they are also a 'jumlebaaz' party like the BJP. This 'maha jumlebaazi' of the Congress has now been understood well by the public," he said.

The president of the UP unit of the BSP alleged that the success of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was based on the foundation of lies.

"The leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance instilled fear in the minds of the people of PDA (backward, Dalit, minority) class that if the Bharatiya Janata Party wins the elections, it will amend the Constitution. This 'jumlebaazi' of the Congress is now well understood by the public," Pal said.

"Can the Constitution of India be changed? No. If the Constitution cannot be changed then why are you (I.N.D.I.A. bloc) saying that we will save the Constitution. This is a betrayal with the common people," he said.

The BSP, he said, is going to the masses and "exposing" the claims made by other parties.

"All the leaders and workers of the BSP have not sat at home even for a single day after the (results of) 2024 Lok Sabha elections on instructions of our leader Behenji (Mayawati). They are going to every village, and telling them that they were intimidated and threatened by saying that the Constitution will be changed. Now the PDA people are realising that the people of I.N.D.I.A. bloc have deceived them and confused them by saying that the Constitution will be changed," he said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had coined the term PDA, and had said the BJP-led NDA will be defeated by PDA, which he defined as a "Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities).

Pal said the BSP will contest bypolls to 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.

"In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the people of I.N.D.I.A. bloc cheated the PDA by colluding with each other. Now, the PDA has understood where its interests lie," he said, and added the "PDA will once again associate itself with the BSP."

"In the 2027 UP assembly elections, on the lines of 2007, we will fight the UP assembly elections alone, and we will again form the government in UP, and make Behenji the chief minister of the country's most populous state. In 2007, we (BSP) did not form an alliance with any party and won 206 seats."

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BSP had contested alone on all the 80 seats in the politically-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, but could not bag even one seat. Similarly in the 2022 UP Assembly elections, the party had fielded candidates on all the 403 assembly constituencies, but it could manage to win only one seat (Rasra in Ballia district), while on 287 assembly seats, the party candidates were compelled to forfeit their electoral deposits.

Bypolls are to be held in Uttar Pradesh's Karhal, Milkipur, Katehari, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Meerapur, Phulpur, Majhawan and Sisamau assembly seats. However, the dates have not been announced.

Among the 10 seats where bypolls are to be held is Sisamau which fell vacant due to disqualification of membership of SP MLA Irfan Solanki after he was sentenced to jail in a criminal case.

Bypolls have become necessary on the remaining seats due to the respective MLAs being elected to the Lok Sabha.

Karhal fell vacant as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav got elected to Lok Sabha from Kannauj, considered to be a stronghold for the SP.

Similarly, the sitting MLA from Milkipur in Ayodhya district Awadhesh Prasad got elected to the Lok Sabha from the Faizabad parliamentary constituency.