BSP to use Maya’s b’day to mobilise cadre

LUCKNOW : The Bahujan Samaj Party will celebrate the 64th birthday of the party chief Mayawati on January 15 next year as ‘Jankalyankari Diwas’, for which the leaders and office bearers of all the state units have been directed to project Mayawati as a symbol of Dalit pride across the country.

A meeting of the office bearers of the All India executive committee was held under the chairmanship of Mayawati in the state unit office on Sunday. The party leaders were directed to also start preparations for the death anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar on December 6.

A BSP leader said after electoral reverses in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections and by-polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) wanted to mobilize its cadre and these decisions are part of the party’s strategy.

The BSP has been using the birthday celebration of the party chief as a platform to send a political message to its vote bank, which had been feeling demoralized due to its consecutive electoral defeats in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Senior leaders, who revolted against the party leadership, had already been shown the door. “The BSP will use the birthday to spur the cadre for the 2020 assembly elections in Delhi as well as 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh,” the leader said. When Mayawati became the chief minister in 2007, a grand celebration took place across the state on January 15, 2009. The state capital was draped in blue and a massive dais was set up on the ground near the CM’s residence. BSP supporters, majority of them Dalits, were transported from all the districts and neighbouring states to participate in the programme.

Over the years, party MPs, MLAs and workers have been donating fund in the party coffers on the occasion of Mayawati’s birthday. The fund raising drive is termed as ‘arthik sahyog’ (economic cooperation) by the BSP.

After losing power in 2012 assembly elections, the BSP had been celebrating the birthday as ‘Jankalyankari Diwas’. “Party leaders aid the needy, poor and the handicapped. They also visit Dalit hamlets and hospitals and distribute fruit and blankets among the poor people. We will visit hamlets and hospitals to distribute sweet and fruit this time too,” said a BSP leader.

Addressing the party leaders, Mayawati on Sunday said seminars will be organized across the state on December 6 to mark death anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar. Calling upon the party supporters to participate in the seminar in strength, she said awareness should be created among the people regarding contribution of Ambedkar in empowerment of the weaker sections of the society and his struggle. “Members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have been deprived of their basic rights under the BJP and Congress governments,” she said.

› Members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have been deprived of their basic rights under the BJP and Congress governments MAYAWATI, BSP chief