Maya may not fight LS polls to focus on campaigning, says BSP leader

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday indicated to party leaders that she would not contest the Lok Sabha elections but would focus on campaigning, a party leader said on condition of anonymity.

The BSP chief, who will hold the first joint rally with her alliance partners Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Deboand on April 7, will also campaign for SP candidates across the state, including in Mainpuri where SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav will be in the fray. She is also scheduled to address rallies in Kannauj, Firozabad and Badaun from where SP’S Dimple Yadav, Akshay Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav are contesting. At a meeting on Wednesday, Mayawati had said that party leaders had requested her to contest the elections. But as the BSP’S only star campaigner, it would not be not possible for her to focus on a single constituency.

Mayawati will kick off the BSP’S national campaign from Odisha capital Bhubaneswar on April 2, the party leader quoted above said. In 2014, the BSP had contested 503 Lok Sabha seats and won none. It had a countrywide vote share of 5%.

Another senior party leader said the BSP has appointed Ritesh Pandey as the party in-charge of Ambedkar Nagar seat, Girish Chandra Jatava as the in-charge of Nagina seat and Haji Iqbal as the in-charge of Bijnore seat. These three seats were earlier shortlisted for Mayawati.

On Friday, Mayawati asked supporters to pay homage to BSP ideologue Kanshi Ram by ensuring good results in the elections. “...true homage to Kanshi Ramji will be if party workers and leaders ensure good results by remaining vigilant against the all-out tricks that our political adversaries will be resorting to.”