BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday tried to hard sell the winning potential of the Dalit-Muslim combine — together 40 percent of the electorate — as she cautioned the minority community to not “spoil” its votes by backing the Samajwadi Party or the Congress.
Voting for either of the two parties in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections would “help the BJP.”
Ms. Mayawati was addressing a massive rally here on party founder and mentor Kanshi Ram’s 10th death anniversary.
The well-attended rally at the sprawling Kanshiram Smarak Sthal was marred by a stampede that left three, including two women, dead, and several injured, due to confusion while they were attempting to exit the ground.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav promptly announced Rs. 2 lakh ex gratia compensation to the kin of the dead, while Ms. Mayawati , after some criticism on social media, later in the evening announced Rs. 5 lakh as ex gratia compensation to the relatives of the dead and promised free treatment for the injured. She blamed “police negligence” for the incident, holding the SP government responsible.
Earlier, projecting herself as the sole force that could stop the BJP, Ms. Mayawati told the rally, that with significant Dalit populations in each constituency — Dalits form 21 per cent of U.P.’s population — the BSP could sail through with the support of Muslims (19 percent). If their votes were split, there would be a repeat of 2014, when the BJP thumped its opponents, she cautioned the minority.
Rejects rumoursShe also tried to dispel the much-talked Muslim fear that if short of majority, she could align with the BJP to form the government — she has done it thrice in the past — by claiming there “was no truth to the rumours.”
“So that the Muslim vote does not go to the BSP, the SP is spreading rumours that we will not get a full majority and form the government with the BJP. But I have full faith in them (Muslims), they will not fall for it,” Ms. Mayawati said.
Her assault on the SP’s alleged misrule, goondaraj and rampant “anarchy” was one of the strong themes of her 90-minute long speech.
The major portion of it was, however, reserved for the Narendra Modi government. Ms. Mayawati tore into the SP government for its law and order problems, accusing it of patronising goondas and fomenting communal riots.
She made a reference to the Dadri, Muzaffarnagar, Mathura and Bulandshar incidents. The SP government was working with a “political vendetta” and casteist and prejudiced mentality, she charged.
