Maya makes statehood pitch in west U.P, attacks poll rivals
The statehood call was a throwback to her last stint in power in Uttar Pradesh (2007-12) when her government had moved a resolution in the state assembly for carving U.P. into four separate states.
Launching her Lok Sabha poll campaign in the region, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday attacked the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the BJP, and said she will work to make western Uttar Pradesh a separate state if her party forms the government.
The statehood call was a throwback to her last stint in power in Uttar Pradesh (2007-12) when her government had moved a resolution in the state assembly for carving U.P. into four separate states.
Addressing election rallies at Khatauli village of Nangal area in Saharanpur Loķ Sabha constituency and in Muzaffarnagar, the four-time former Uttar Pradesh chief minister appealed people to vote for the party’s candidate Majid Ali in Saharanpur, Dara Singh Prajapati in Muzaffarnagar and Vijendra Singh Malik in Bijnor.
She offered flowers to the portrait of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary before addressing the rallies.
In Muzaffarnagar, training her guns on the Samajwadi Party government of the time, apparently for the Muzaffarnagar-Shamli riots of 2013, she said the brotherhood of Jats and Muslims was broken during the SP’s tenure while there were no riots in the area under her regime.
Such was the panic in Muzaffarnagar during the SP government, she said representatives of the Muslim community were not ready to contest elections, due to which a candidate from the extremely backward class was fielded by her party.
The BSP has fielded Dara Singh Prajapati in Muzaffarnagar against Union minister and BJP candidate Sanjeev Balyan, who is seeking a third term, and the Samajwadi Party candidate Harendra Malik.
She also said to provide participation to the community, the BSP has fielded a Muslim candidate from Haridwar in the neighbouring Uttarakhand. The BSP has nominated Jameel Ahmed against former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat (BJP) and the Congress candidate Virender Rawat in Haridwar.
Targeting the Congress, she said it had been in power for a long time after independence but was voted out due to its policies.
About the BJP, she said it will not return to power as the party’s “theatrics and jumlebaji (rhetoric)” are not going to work.
“There is a difference between the words and actions of the BJP,” she said.
Making a pro-farmer pitch in the agrarian belt, she whenever the BSP government was formed, farmers were given fair price for every crop.
“The poor will be benefited not through free rations but by providing permanent employment. The exploitation of Muslims under the guise of religion will be stopped. Recruitment in the BSP government was done in a fair manner. The youths of Jat community also got employment,” she said.
Remembering farmer leader and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, on whom Bharat Ratna was conferred posthumously recently, Mayawati said if BSP government is formed, she will work to make Western Uttar Pradesh a separate state.
Addressing a rally in Saharanpur, she said that BSP is not in alliance with Congress, BJP or any other party, but is contesting the elections alone, ensuring participation to people from all sections of society in ticket distribution.
She said that after independence, most of the governments have been of the Congress party. Due to anti-dalit, anti- tribal and anti-backward class policies, this party was ousted from power at the Centre and the states.