Mayawati in poll mode, rejigs party organisation

Apparently shifting gears to prepare for the next state polls as well as the approaching by-polls for 12 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday brought about changes in the party organisation.

Mayawati appointed former MP Munkad Ali as the new Uttar Pradesh unit president while shifting current state president R S Kushwaha to the national unit of the party as general secretary.

The BSP supremo also removed the leader of the party's parliamentary group in the Lok Sabha, Danish Ali. Ali was replaced by party MP from Jaunpur Shyam Singh Yadav.

The BSP Lok Sabha member from Ambedkar Nagar, Ritesh Pandey, has been made the deputy leader of the parliamentary group, a press release said.

The appointment of a Muslim leader as the UP president of the party assumes political significance, especially in view of the BSP's decision to support the Centre's move to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution ending special status to Jammu & Kashmir.

"Mayawati wants to send a message to Muslims that her decision to support the repeal of Article 370 was not against the community but was based on her desire to ensure reservation for the SC/ST and OBC in the Himalayan state," said a senior BSP leader here.

Similarly, Shyam Singh's appointment as BSP parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha was also significant. "Mayawati by appointing a Yadav has tried to stem the feeling, after breaking her alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP), that she is against the community," the leader said.