Wary Maya calls SC leader 'BJP agent'

Apparently wary of a split in her core vote bank, BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday dubbed Scheduled Caste (SC) leader and Bhim Army president Chandrashekhar alias Ravan as BJP's "agent".

Mayawati asked her supporters to "beware of" the efforts by the BJP to split their votes in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections through people like Chandrashekhar.

She tweeted saying that the BJP had propped up Chandrashekhar.

"The BJP is behind Chandrashekhar's decision to contest from Varanasi Lok Seat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi... The BJP wants to split the Dalit votes to benefit Modi," Mayawati said.

The BSP leader also claimed that the Bhim Army had been formed on the direction of the BJP.

"The BJP tried to get Chandrashekhar included into the BSP but they failed," she said.

Mayawati's remarks came a day after Chandrashekhar held a roadshow in Varanasi and declared that he would contest against Modi.

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

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

It, however, took everyone by surprise by releasing him a few days ago.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had a few days back met Chandrashekhar at a hospital in Meerut, where he had been admitted after complaint of chest pain.

Mayawati apparently fears that the SC leader, who has pockets of influence over the community in Saharanpur and the adjoining regions, may make a dent into her core vote bank.