Bahujan Samaja Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday said that if her party is voted to power and form Government at the Centre, it would definitely give the Special Category State (SCS) status to Odisha, for which the State has been fighting since long.
Accusing the Congress, the BJP and the regional parties like the BJD of ignoring people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and religious minorities, Mayawati urged people to unite under the BSP banner and vote for it in the coming polls.
“Our party is committed for the development of Dalit, SC, ST and downtrodden people across the country. Neither the Congress, the BJP and other Opposition parties in the country nor the BJD and opposition forces in Odisha are committed to development of a poor State like Odisha. If the BSP comes to power at the Centre then it will certainly allot SCS status to Odisha,” said Mayawati while addressing an election meeting here.
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also blamed the ‘faulty policies’ of the Congress and the BJP and their allies in ensuring socioeconomic development of people belonging to the SC, ST and minority communities.Stating that the BSP would field candidates in a maximum of lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Odisha, Mayawati urged all the people to vote for the party.
“Though the SC and ST people constitute about 50 per cent of Odisha’s population, their poverty rate is still a matter of concern. If people bless us, we will change the status of SC, ST and Dalits of the country and also of Odisha,” she said. So far, the BSP has announced to field candidates in 55 Assembly and 10 lok Sabha seats in Odisha.Among others, BSP State president Tankadhar Bag and State in-charge Dharmvir Singh Ashok also spoke.