LUCKNOW: In a major political revelation, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday blamed Congress for breaking a secular alliance in the just-concluded Himachal Pradesh and upcoming Gujarat assembly polls.
In a statement issued here, she clarified why she had brought her brother Anand Kumar and his son Akash into the party, and asked party leaders and workers to refrain from giving her gifts on her 61st birthday that falls on January 15 next year.
She said BSP had opposed alliance with other parties in the past, but in order to defeat Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the party had taken the initiative, but failed. “In Gujarat, BSP just wanted 25 seats from Congress, which it had lost in the last elections, but they refused to oblige. Similarly on this pattern we demanded 10 seats in Himachal Pradesh.”
She said this in the statement issued after a review meeting with the party leaders for the crucial civic polls in the state.
“BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, who had initiated discussions with Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, was also frustrated with their attitude. Hence, we have now decided that the party will go it alone in future polls,” Ms Mayawati said.
She pointed out that the party had had a bad experience during the 1993 assembly polls in UP when it allied with the SP and then in 1996 when it had an alliance with Congress. “An alliance could happen only when the number of seats is decided well before the polls,” he added.
The BSP president defended her decision to induct her brother Anand Kumar and his son Akshay into the party. “We need a dedicated leader who would not succumb to any pressure to keep the BSP movement going. Anand Kumar and his well educated son Akshay are the fittest persons to lead the party in times of crisis,” she claimed.
Currently, Anand is vice-president of the party, in other words second in command, while Akshay is just a party member.
“Kanshi Ram got Mayawati as his heir to fight for the dream of Dr B R Ambedkar. Similarly, Anand Kumar and Akshay would do the same after me,” she said.
The BSP supremo also announced that her 61st birthday on January 15, 2018 would be observed as ‘Jan Kalyan Diwas’ and her party leaders and workers would help the poor and needy people.
She strictly announced that party leaders and workers should not present her costly gifts on her birthday.
During the meeting, the BSP president said for the first time the party was contesting in civic polls on the symbol and directed party leaders to expel rebel candidates who are contesting against the official party candidates.
“Though BJP is misusing official machinery in the civic polls and giving false promises through their sankalp patra , BSP leaders should put in all their might to ensure victory for party candidates. People should know that the promises of the BJP are just jumlebaazi like they did in the UP assembly polls.”
The BSP president also asked the leaders to hold a grand function at the Dr B R Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal in Lucknow to celebrate the death anniversary of Dr Ambedkar on December 6. (AGENCIES)
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