The Hindu : National : SP seeks derecognition of BSP

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SP seeks derecognition of BSP

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Samajwadi Party on Sunday demanded derecognition of the Bahujan Samaj Party for “extorting” money ahead of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s birthday. Armed with a sting operation disclosure, the Samajwadi Party has written to the Election Commission and also brought the matter to the notice of President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in separate letters.

Disclosing the contents of the sting operation to the media at a press conference here, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh said evidence was now available on how Ms. Mayawati got her legislators and party functionaries to collect funds from government staff and the public on her birthday.

Claiming that the sting operation had busted the modus operandi of an annual exercise that was no secret, Mr. Singh said the money was sent to the BSP office from where office-bearers distributed it down the party hierarchy in other States. This money was then deposited through drafts of small denomination in Ms. Mayawati’s name.

Along with the audio recording of the sting operation, the Samajwadi Party also circulated a list of 39 drafts deposited in Ms. Mayawati’s name in 2007 in various banks.

Meanwhile, taking on the Congress, Mr. Singh urged the party not to test its patience. Stating that the Samajwadi Party would like to remain with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he trained his guns on AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh. “If Mr. Digvijay Singh continues with his tirade against us, it will be difficult for us to continue in the alliance,” Mr. Amar Singh said in the presence of SP president Mulayam Singh.

According to the SP leadership, the majority view in the party was against an alliance with the Congress and the matter would be reviewed by the national executive after January 14.

Some Congress leaders were bent upon breaking the alliance. Mr. Amar Singh said that if push comes to shove, his party would contest all Lok Sabha seats in U.P. except Rae Bareli and Amethi – the strongholds of Ms. Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi respectively. “Our equation with Dr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi is good, but they are being let down by those people who have been entrusted with the day-to-day business of making the alliance work at the grassroots.”

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