Only a Dalit will succeed me as BSP chief: Mayawati

Unlike the Congress and others, the BSP is not a party of capitalists but of the poor and deprived, she said

BSP president Mayawati on Friday said it is too early to announce her successor but when the time comes, another Dalit will lead the party.

Attacking the Congress, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said despite losing mass support, the party was allegedly spreading canards and maligning the BSP’s image.

"There is no need to speculate on my successor as I am fit and fine at present. I will make the announcement only when I am not fit to lead the party,” the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president said.

“My successor will be another Dalit who has stood by me and the party with all honesty and dedication even during the most trying times. The party has seen many ups and downs,” she added.

She said BSP founder Kanshi Ram too had declared her as his successor only when he was not keeping well.

Reacting to a promotional booklet prepared by the Uttar Pradesh Congress in the run-up to the assembly elections in the state, the BSP chief alleged that the party was using money and food to attract crowds at its rallies.

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The 24-page booklet, which is meant for distribution among Congress workers during the party’s ongoing training programmes, highlights the alleged misinformation campaign against it and the wrongdoings of opposition parties including the BSP.

“The Congress party is pained as it is now well known that even for bringing people to its rallies and public meetings, it has to woo them with money and food. This is the culture of the Congress party for attracting crowds,” Mayawati claimed.

This also reflects that the Congress has lost mass support, she alleged.

The Congress needed to mention its own shortcomings in the booklet instead of commenting on opposition parties and should first set its own house in order, she said.

The BSP chief also claimed that the Congress is finding it difficult to persuade people in Uttar Pradesh to fight elections on its ticket and has to seek financial help from industrialists to fund the campaigning of its candidates.

Whereas, the BSP gives tickets to even those who are not financially strong and donations are collected for such candidates, Mayawati said.

Unlike the Congress and others, the BSP is not a party of capitalists but of the poor and deprived and is run with the help of small contributions, she added.

“It seems that the Congress is desperate to return to power but the party's wrong policies, work culture, double speak are responsible for its present dismal state. For hiding their shortcomings, they are resorting to different tactics but the people of the state are aware of it. They can release as many booklets as they want but it will not be of any help,” she said.

The Congress will not gain any support by releasing booklets, enacting dramas or sitting before Gandhiji's statue, she said referring to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staging a silent protest before a Mahatma Gandhi statute here against the BJP government last month.

People know that during my four tenures as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, I did historical work for the society and all religious groups which was neither done by the previous governments nor the present BJP regime, she said.