The Hindu : `Mayawati has allied with Cong.'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 03, 2003

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`Mayawati has allied with Cong.'

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV. 2. The Justice Party president, Udit Raj, today accused the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP chief, Mayawati, of having entered into a "tacit electoral alliance" with the ruling Congress in Delhi.

Referring to the announcement of Ms. Mayawati on Saturday that her party would contest 40 of the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi, Mr. Raj alleged the BSP has left 30 seats to the Congress as part of its tactical electoral understanding with the ruling party.

Addressing a press conference here today to announce the first list of five candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections, Mr. Raj appealed to the BSP workers in the Capital to leave the party and join the Justice Party, which has emerged as a viable alternative to the BSP.

"After this unwritten electoral alliance with the Congress in Delhi, the BSP workers and its local leaders who so far opposed and worked against the Congress would now have to canvass in favour of the Congress. One can imagine the plight of the BSP workers. This is nothing but humiliation,'' Mr. Raj claimed.

Mr. Raj demanded proper housing for the labourers and daily wagers who have migrated from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in search of greener pastures to Delhi. They are now forced to live in inhumane condition. No government or civic administration has ever given any thought to their plight. "Houses should be built for them and their families. They are also human beings and citizens of this country. Why are they being deprived of the basic civic rights,'' he asked.

The main ideology and demand of the Justice Party in the forthcoming elections would be equal and compulsory education, employment for all, reservation for all Scheduled Castes residing in Delhi, reservation in higher judiciary for the Dalits, backwards and minorities, reservation in the private sector and time bound promotion of safai karamcharis.

He demanded amendment of Article 341 to provide reservation to the Dalit Muslims. "If Dalit Sikhs and Dalit Buddhists could be given reservation, why not Dalit Muslims,'' asked Mr. Raj. He also demanded a modern education system for Muslims and establishment of a Madarsa Board.

Mr. Raj said in the coming days, his party would announce more candidates for the Delhi elections. "Assembly aspirants of good character and reputation who have been rejected by the Congress and the BJP would be considered favourably by us,'' he said.

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