Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president and former Chief Minister Mayawati has declared that her party will contest the upcoming by-elections for 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh with full vigor.
Speaking at a meeting of senior party officials and district presidents at the BSP state office on Sunday, she emphasized that although the official announcement of the by-election dates is yet to be made, political activity is already heating up.
“The BJP, in particular, has turned these elections into a matter of prestige, which has heightened public interest,” she said and added: “BSP will field its candidates in all the 10 seats and fight with determination”.
During the meeting, Mayawati reviewed the progress reports on the directives issued in previous meetings aimed at expanding the party's support base. She also assessed the groundwork being laid to ensure a strong performance in the upcoming by-elections.
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Critique of government policies:
Addressing the gathering, she criticized the government's failure to address pressing issues such as poverty, unemployment, inflation, and social backwardness, which she believes have led to widespread public dissatisfaction.
She accused the government of distracting the public from these issues through divisive tactics, including the use of bulldozer politics and attempts to create caste and religious tensions.
Mayawati also condemned the government's introduction of a new law on religious conversion and its efforts to sub-categorize SC-ST reservations, describing these moves as attempts to divide the people.
She pointed out the government's refusal to conduct a caste census, and criticized what she termed as unwarranted government interference in the operation of mosques, madrasas, and Waqf properties. She highlighted the recent hasty decision by the Uttar Pradesh government regarding Nazul land, which she claimed has caused widespread confusion and unrest across the state.
“The government's policy of leasing public land is being executed with bias and favoritism, leading to discontent even within the BJP itself. The public has lost faith in the government's intentions and policies”, she said and questioned the effectiveness of the government’s law-and-order measures, claiming they are mostly superficial and selectively enforced, particularly when it comes to BJP members.
Reservation Debate:
Mayawati also responded to a recent statement by the Congress party's national president, who credited Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with the introduction of SC-ST reservations.
She vehemently rejected this claim, asserting that the true credit belongs to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. She reminded the public that Congress members had attempted to prevent Dr. Ambedkar from joining the Constituent Assembly, worked against him in elections, and even forced him to resign from his position as Law Minister.
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