As birthday gift, Mayawati wants alliance victory

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, who formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh last week, asked her party workers to ensure victory for the combine’s candidates in the Lok Sabha elections, saying it would be a belated gift for her birthday, which she and her party workers celebrated on Tuesday. She marked the occasion with a tirade against both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

“I appeal to BSP and SP workers to forget their differences and ensure victory of the alliance. It will be gift for my birthday,” Mayawati, who turned 63, said at a press conference in Lucknow.

During the day, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav called on Mayawati at her residence, along with senior party leaders, to greet her on her birthday. In an hour-long meeting, the leaders discussed the election campaign strategy and candidates for the seats allotted to their parties.

On Saturday, the two parties said they will contest 38 seats each, leaving two to the Congress and two for smaller allies. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha seats. Kept out of the alliance, the Congress has said it will fight all 80 seats in the upcoming polls.

The BSP chief used the occasion to hit out at the Congress and the BJP, saying that people were suffering because of the wrong policies followed by the two parties.

She also said that ever since the BSP and SP had tied up, the BJP was spending sleepless nights. “The people have taught BJP a lesson in the recently concluded elections in five states. It’s a lesson for Congress as well. Leaders of both the parties should understand that they cannot take the people for a ride by making tempting and false promises. The parties that are anti-poor and prorich cannot continue in power for long,” she said.