MEERUT, Sept 16: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati’s future political strategy now depends on the show of strength in its divisional workers’ Maha-rally to be held here on September 18, exactly two month after her resignation from the Rajya Sabha.
The BSP leaders of western Uttar Pradesh are leaving no stones unturned to make the rally a grand success as it is necessary for the future of the party. The meet will also mark the launch of the BSP campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
For the first time Ms Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar and his foreign educated son Akash would don the political mantle during the rally.
Following BSP’s poor performance in the 2017 UP Assembly polls after failing to win even a single seat in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Meerut rally is seen as BSP’s first major efforts to mobilise its cadres in its favour in UP’s three divisions Meerut, Moradabad and Saharanpur.
BSP could win only one Assembly seat of Dholana in Ghaziabad district which sends more than 60 MLAs to UP Assembly. The party supporters have launched a massive campaign on the social media to mobilise party workers for the conference.
Ms Mayawati is also holding regular meetings with party leaders at her official residence in Lucknow to review the preparation for the conference.
In an invitation sent to the media today, Ms Mayawati said the rally has been called to make the people aware about anti-people, anti-poor, anti-farmers and anti-labourers attitude of the BJP Government.
The party supporters of three divisions — Meerut, Saharanpur and Moradabad — would be attending the rally to be held at Vedvyaspuri on the Delhi Road in Meerut on Monday.
Ms Mayawati has also started screening candidates for the 80 Lok Sabha seats and appointing them as in-charge of the Lok Sabha seats as well. The candidates have been entrusted with the task of transporting party workers to the rally ground on September 18.
A BSP leader said the conference might announce a bigger role for Ms Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar, who has been appointed party’s national vice-president, and her nephew Akash who has completed MBA from a foreign university.
“To win over the youths, Mayawati has planned to promote Akash in the organisation and also assign him a bigger role in politics,” he said.
Ms Mayawati, who resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 18 alleging that she was not allowed to speak on Dalit atrocities in the Upper House, is planning to highlight the sacrifice that she made for the community during her speech.
After the rebellion by senior leaders rattled the party, Ms Mayawati planned to send across the message that despite the revolts she enjoys the support of party workers. The conference has strategically been planned in west UP which has a large Muslim population.
After Meerut, the party will hold meetings on the 18th of every month at divisional headquarters. These conferences, to be held at the divisional level and in assembly segments, are likely to continue till next year. The BSP will also organise demonstrations on public issues in UP and other states.
Mayawati has upset the plan of opposition parties to form anti-BJP alliance by turning down the proposal to attend the ‘BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao’ rally organised by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad in Patna on August 27.
Questioning the efforts of opposition parties to form a secular alliance to challenge the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Ms Mayawati said the parties should finalise the seat-sharing formula before forging a pre-poll alliance.
“The durability of an alliance is dependent on the distribution of seats among partners. The tussle of seat sends wrong signal to the people and will benefit the BJP,” she said.
The Opposition has not lost hope and has offered her to contest bypoll on Phulpur Lok Sabha seat that will be vacated by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya after his election to the Legislative Council.
Ms Mayawati earlier announced that she would not contest the election and the BSP would not field a candidate in the bypolls. She might support the opposition candidate. (UNI)
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