Mayawati may have a rival in Bhim Army prez 'Ravan'

Desperate to regain the support of her core vote bank in Uttar Pradesh, BSP supremo Mayawati could soon have a rival in the form of SC leader and Bhim Army president Chandrashekhar alias Ravan.

Chandrashekhar will soon take a plunge in active politics and form a political outfit in the "very near future" to make sure that "dalits get their dues".

Chandrashekhar had shot into limelight after he led protest rallies of the SC community in Saharanpur, following the killing of two SC members allegedly by 'Thakurs' during a procession last year.

He had been arrested and the BJP government in the state had slapped the National Security Act (NSA) on him.

The SC leader, who hailed from Saharanpur, said that he would soon hold a rally here and announce the name of his political outfit. "The bahujan (dalit) movement is weakening... BSP has failed to take up the issues concerning the dalits," he said.

He said that his outfit would also consider fielding its own candidates in the next Assembly polls in Delhi.

Although Chandrashekhar wields considerable influence over the SC members, especially youth, he refrained from lending support to any political outfit. He had made an offer to support Mayawati but the latter had snubbed him and even called him an "agent" of the BJP.

She had said that the BJP had propped up Chandrashekhar in a bid to "split dalit votes". The BSP leader also claimed that Bheem Army had been formed on the direction of the BJP.

Chandrashekhar had, during the Lok Sabha polls, declared that he would contest against Modi but backed out later.

Though BSP leaders sought to make light of Chandrashekhar's plan to join active politics, saying it would have no effect on their support base, sources in the BSP said that Mayawati apparently feared that the SC leader, who had pockets of influence over the community in Saharanpur and the adjoining regions, might make a dent into her core vote bank.