The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : We’re serious about elections: Mayawati

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
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We’re serious about elections: Mayawati

Special Correspondent

BSP supremo rejects charge that it is in fray to help the BJP

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

oozing confidence: BSP leader Mayawati and party general secretary P.G.R. Sindhia at an election rally at Devanahalli, near Bangalore, on Monday.

BANGALORE: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday said her party was contesting the Assembly elections not to play spoilsport but to come to power on its own.

Addressing an election rally at Devanahalli in Bangalore Rural district, Ms. Mayawati criticised the Congress for its alleged propaganda that the BSP was in the poll fray only to help the BJP. She said her party was a serious contender and would neither help nor harm the prospects of other parties in the race.

“A few years ago the Congress indulged in a similar campaign in Uttar Pradesh. We not only defeated the Congress, but also ensured that the BJP was pushed to the third place. The BSP is contesting almost all the seats in Karnataka without any understanding with other political parties”.

Terming the Congress and the BJP as “parties propped up by capitalists,” Ms. Mayawati blamed them for price rise, poverty and unemployment in the country. As the economic policies of the Congress and BJP were aimed to help the capitalists, the poor and middle-class families had been put to all kinds of hardships. People should reject the Congress and BJP and vote for the BSP, she said.

Ms. Mayawati, who dwelt at length on the achievements of her Government in Uttar Pradesh, said the BSP was in favour of providing reservation for the poor among the upper castes. The Centre had ignored the BSP’s request to amend the Constitution for providing such a reservation, she said. The BSP supremo said her party had also urged the Centre to provide reservation to Dalit Christians on a par with the Scheduled Castes and also increase the quantum of reservation so that the existing quota for Scheduled Castes did not come down.

Ms. Mayawati attempted to convince the gathering that BSP was not against any caste or community and explained how the people belonging to upper castes had been given top positions in the party.

‘Development model’

Mysore Staff Correspondent reports:

Ms. Mayawati appealed to the people to vote for the BSP as it had set a “development model” for the State’s progress.

Addressing an election rally at Kollegal in Chamarajanagar district, Ms Mayawati said her party was contesting 218 seats out of 224 and it had not entered into an understanding with any party.

The BSP supremo maintained that her party was the only alternative in the State as the Congress, the BJP and the JD (S) had failed to address the people’s aspirations.

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