The exodus of large number of leaders and workers in Haridwar district has put a spanner in the Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) plans of opening its account this time in the lok Sabha elections of Uttarakhand. On Monday many party workers owing affiliations to expelled BSP MlAs Haridas and Surendra Rakesh joined Congress in presence of State Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
The exodus of party workers was led by Subodh Rakesh, the brother of Social Welfare Minister Surendra Rakesh and Aaditya son of Jharbera MlA Haridas. Both Rajesh and Haridas were expelled from the party for anti-party activities.
The BSP had three MlAs in Uttarakhand Assembly and all three hailed from Haridwar. The expelled MlAs Surendra Rakesh and Haridas are from Bhagwanpur and Jharbera Assembly constituencies of Haridwar respectively.In the Assembly elections Surendra Rakesh polled more than 36,000 and cornered an about 47 per cent of total votes while Haridas got about 23,000 votes.
In the ensuing lok Sabha elections the BSP has pinned it hopes on Haridwar and Nainital parliamentary seats as both these constituencies have a substantial Dalit and minority votes. The BSP played Muslim card in Haridwar and Nainital as it gave party ticket to Hazi Mohammad Islam from Haridwar and laique Ahmed from Nainital.The party was more focused in Haridwar as the minority and Dalits constitute 45 per cent of the 15.52 lakh strong electorate. In Haridwar the party got an impressive 23 per cent votes in the general elections of 2009 and managed to win three Assembly seats in the Assembly elections of 2012.
When contacted by The Pioneer the State BSP president Meghraj Singh said that most of those who joined the Congress are not the party workers, giving the example of Devendra Agarwal Singh said that he was expelled from the party two years ago.He said only the family members of Rakesh and Haridas have joined Congress and BSP would not be affected by this act.
launching a scathing attack on Congress Singh said that it has actually dug its grave by admitting these leaders. He said that the people and the Dalit community were a bit confused when the supporters of Haridas and Rakesh complained that they were not treated well by local unit and that they would continue to support Mayawati.
By joining the Congress party these leaders are exposed before the Dalit community and the community would now teach Congress a lesson, he claimed.