Delhi Assembly Elections 2020: BSP may approach disgruntled AAP leaders

Seeking to cash in on resentment among AAP leaders refused a chance to contest the Delhi Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party has decided to give preference to such people while distributing tickets, sources said on Wednesday.

The state unit of the BSP has been asked to approach Aam Admi Party leaders who are disgruntled at being denied tickets.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by party chief Mayawati here on Wednesday.

AAP has not given tickets to more than a dozen MLAs.

According to the sources, BSP Rajya Sabha members Ashok Siddharth, Veer Singh and Rajaram have been entrusted with the task of effectively implementing the party's strategy related to the Delhi Assembly elections.

Mayawati has asked to concentrate efforts in unauthorised colonies of rural Delhi and areas where people from Purvanchal -- East Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar -- are in a majority.

A senior leader of the BSP's Delhi unit said that names of candidates have been decided in about 40 seats in the meeting that lasted for about two hours.

Apart from the three in-charge Rajya Sabha MPs, Delhi BSP president Laxman Singh and chairpersons of the party's district units were also present in the meeting.

According to the sources, the names of the candidates in all the seats are expected to be decided in the next two-three days. After this, the promotional campaign will be finalized. Party president Mayawati is also expected to be involved in the assembly election campaign

In the last elections in 2015, the BSP could not open its account in Delhi, though the party had two MLAs in 2008.