The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state president, Bhrigurashan Rao has slammed the slew of pro Dalit measurers announced by chief minister Harish Rawat at a Dalit Sammelan in Jharbera in Haridwar district on Saturday.The announcements that they are nothing but hollow claims.
Speaking to The Pioneer, the BSP leader also lampooned the announcements of the Chief Minister by terming them as election time gimmicks. He said that the Dalits understand these gimmicks and claimed that these declarations would ensure no political gains for Congress in the coming assembly elections. Rawat on Saturday had declared that Dalits contractors would get reservation in government tenders. He said that the foundation stone of Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar medical college woukd be soon laid in Bhagwanpur town and the government would construct Ghats after the names of Dalit personalities.
The BSP state President said that the government is not filling the 16000 posts with reserved category candidates in government jobs and the state government is sitting over the findings of the Irshad Hussain commission set up on the issue of reservations in promotions. The stand of government on these issues clearly shows that the state congress government is anti- dalit, he said. The BSP leader claimed that the party is geared up for the assembly elections and it would put up a very good performance in these polls.
It is clear that the CM in Jharbera was out to impress Muslim and Dalits which constitute 45 percent of total electorate in Haridwar district. The BSP holds considerable influence on Dalits and Muslims in Haridwar district.
It is worth mentioning here that the BSP is the third biggest political force in Uttarakhand after Congress and BJP. However even after much effort the party is not able to make its presence felt in the mountainous areas of the state. The Party though is a potent political force in Haridwar district. In this district the party had cornered an impressive 23 Percent votes in the general elections of 2009. In the assembly elections of 2012 the Party candidates were able to bag three assembly seats (Bhagwanpur, Jharbera and Manglore) in Haridwar. The party performed very poorly in the general elections of 2014 and its vote share dropped to 4.71 percent in these elections. BSP is now on a overdrive to reclaim its base in district.