Farmers Movement Archive

Uttar Pradesh: Our rivals rattled by increase in Bahujan Samaj Party’s electoral base, says Mayawati

Lucknow: Accusing BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party of hatching conspiracy against her party, BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday told her party functionaries to stay alert and tackle the deceitful designs of the political rivals ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year. Presiding over a review meeting at the party headquarters in Lucknow, Mayawati said, “Our political rivals are rattled by the rise in BSP’s electoral base and its emergence as a strong option to BJP.” Referring to BSP’s ‘Prabuddh Sammelans’ being held in different districts, Mayawati said their success has jolted rivals. “BJP is feeling the threat of losing power in UP,” she said. The sammelans being held under party’s general secretary SC Mishra aim to woo back Brahmins, attempting a repeat of social engineering that hoisted Mayawati to power in 2007 with full majority for the first time. Mayawati hit out at ruling BJP for taking steps to gain cheap popularity. “Otherwise too, a major part of BJP’s tenure has been spent in doing unproductive work,” she said. She also attacked the Union government accusing it of being unmoved by farmers’ agitation against farm laws for the past nine months. On the contrary, Bahujan Samaj Party has always stood steadfast with farmers and raised their issues within and outside the Parliament, she added. “The farmers are on a warpath in Uttar Pradesh also. We appeal to the Uttar Pradesh government to consider their demands,” she said. The Bahujan Samaj Party chief also asked party functionaries from nine divisions of the state to take stock of preparedness of booth-level committees, which are of immense importance for the party’s electoral prospects. She said the political spade work at the grass roots needs to be intensified and told party leaders to keep updating her about the developments from time to time.

The Times of India

2021-09-01

Lucknow