Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying that the party which ruled the country for six decades ignored the interests of Dalits, OBCs and minorities, compelling the disadvantaged sections to float their own party.
Mayawati said that her mentor Kanshiram founded the Bahujan Samaj Party for the emancipation of the depressed classes in 1984.
Addressing an election meeting in Sultanpur on Friday, Mayawati accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress of having a tacit understanding and unitedly working against the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance.
“Congressmen think it is not a problem if BJP candidates win but SP-BSP alliance candidates should not win election. I appeal to you that do not waste your vote by voting for Congress,’’ the former chief minister of UP said.
“The Congress wants to benefit the BJP. Like BJP, Congress has started talking absurd about the SP-BSP alliance. It is clear that both parties have a tacit understanding and are contesting against our alliance unitedly,” Mayawati charged.
Defending BSP candidate in Sultanpur and don-turned-politico Chandrabhadra Singh, Mayawati said, “Chandrabhadra never tormented the poor and downtrodden and fought valiantly against those who exploited Dalits and poor sections of society.”
“Dalits, OBCs, minorities and the poor among the upper caste were denied their due share in the power structure and reservation in promotion was also not implemented during Congress rule. The BJP government also failed the disadvantaged sections and instead of working for the masses, the BJP government did ‘chowkidari’ only for the rich and industrialists,’’ the BSP chief alleged.
“For the BJP, ‘achhe din’ (good days) are over and ‘bure din’ (bad days) are ahead as it will be voted out of power for failing to honour promises made during 2014 Lok Sabha elections,’’ she said.
Targeting BJP candidate from Sultanpur and Union minister Maneka Gandhi, Mayawati said, “Power has gone to her head as she is openly threatening Muslims that she will work for them, only if they voted for her.’’
Addressing an election meeting in Siddharthnagar district in favour the alliance Domariyaganj candidate Aftab Ahmad, the BSP chief appealed to the voters to “undo the wrongs” of Congress and BJP governments.
She accused the Congress of failing to eliminate poverty.
Referring to Congress’ proposed minimum income guarantee scheme NYAY, she said, “If we form government at the Centre, we will focus on providing both government and private jobs to people instead of doling out Rs 6,000.”
Under NYAY scheme, the Congress has promised Rs 6,000 to poor families every month.
The SP-BSP alliance is angry with the Congress over the recent statements of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
In the context of the next three phases in UP, where 41 seats will go to polls , the statements of Mayawati and Akhilesh are carefully drafted to prevent splitting of votes between the alliance and Congress.