Mayawati bats for ballot paper use in U.P. civic polls

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has stressed the use of ballot papers in the upcoming urban local body polls in the state instead of electronic voting machine (EVM). She also said polls should be free and fair.

Addressing a press conference at the party’s state unit office here on Monday, she also made it clear that the BSP will not either field gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen, an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, or any of his kin for Prayagraj’s mayoral seat.

“The party will take a decision over Shaista Parveen’s membership after her arrest by police and the facts that have come to light during the investigation of the case,” she said.

Hitting out the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mayawati said, “To serve its narrow politics, it (BJP) is now raising the issue of Pasmanda Muslims. The Pasmandas are Muslims first and they are aware of the track record of the BJP toward Muslims. It’s due to the negative thinking of the BJP and its malicious policy that they are forced to live in poverty and insecurity as they lived under the Congress rule. Like Dalits and OBC, the ‘Pasmanda’ Muslims are the neglected lot.”

Due to the wrong policies of the BJP, Congress and the SP governments, the Dalits, OBC and Muslims were exploited, Mayawati alleged. “Under the BJP, people are forced to live in poverty, unemployment has increased while education, health and roads are in a pitiable condition,” she further alleged.

“Under the four BSP governments, Uttar Pradesh moved fast on the path of development. The state government provided security to life and property of Dalits, OBC, Muslims and weaker sections. The rule of law prevailed in the state then,” she claimed.

Mayawati called upon the voters that they should avoid being tricked by what she termed tempting promises made by rival parties, particularly the BJP, in the upcoming civic polls.

“The voters should also be wary of the false slogans and hate speeches made by the leaders of the rival parties. They should support the BSP with all their strength in the civic election. The BSP believes in the policy of ‘sarvajan hitay and sarvjan sukhay’,” she added.

“The BSP will fight the local bodies election with full strength. It will work to protect the interests of the poor, Dalits, OBC, tribals and Muslims in the local bodies. The BSP follows the ideals of Dr Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram,” Mayawati said.

“The BSP is not satisfied with the reservations provided to SC, ST, OBC and women in the urban local body election. To serve its interests, the BJP government has not followed the reservation rules. The BJP wants to take its benefit in the 2024 Lok Sabha election,” she added.