Lucknow/Ballia, July 18
Stepping up preparations for the UP Assembly election, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday announced the launch of a campaign from Ayodhya to reach out to Brahmin voters and assured the community that its interests will be safeguarded if her party comes to power.
Speaking to the media here, Mayawati said she is fully confident that the members of the “Brahmin community will not get misled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)” and will vote for her party in the upcoming elections.
“A campaign, led by BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, will be started from Ayodhya on July 23 to awaken the Brahmin community once again.
“The Brahmins will be assured that their interests will remain safe under the BSP regime,” the former chief minister and Dalit leader said.
The BJP hit back, alleging the BSP chief is “remembering” the Brahmins only because of assembly elections next year and is pursuing “opportunistic politics”.
Mayawati’s Brahmin outreach was considered as one of the key factors for her win in the 2007 UP assembly elections.
On the agitation against the farm laws, the BSP chief said all political parties should come together and hold the Centre accountable.
“The indifferent attitude of the Centre towards farmers protesting against the three farm laws is extremely sad. It is necessary that pressure is put on the Centre in Parliament,” she said.
Mayawati alleged that there is rising unemployment and inflation, which is posing hardships to the people, due to the wrong economic policies of the Central government.
She said the BSP MPs will raise issues such as the rise in fuel and cooking gas prices and matters related to Covid-19 vaccination during the Monsoon Session of Parliament which begins on Monday.
“There are many issues on which the public wants accountability of the government,” she said.
Meanwhile, reacting to Mayawati’s statement, UP minister for Divyaangjan Welfare and BJP leader Anil Rajbhar claimed the BSP chief is fighting for her political existence, and the campaign to reach out to the Brahmin community is an “example of opportunistic politics”.
Rajbhar also claimed that the Brahmin community will give a befitting reply to the BSP in the 2022 UP Assembly polls.
“BSP is remembering the Brahmins because of the election. BSP chief Mayawati does not have information about what is happening on the ground,” he told reporters.
“She will never struggle for the problems being faced by the public, nor will she speak about the farmers. She never moves out (of her house) to know the condition of the Dalits. She does politics from her air-conditioned room via Twitter and social media,” he said.
