Eying the Prime Minister’s chair in case of a hung Parliament, Mayawati streamlined the cadre to expand the party’s base in the coming Assembly elections in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The BSP chief held a meeting with senior BSP leaders and also positioned her loyalists on all key posts in the above states to ensure electoral success.
Interestingly, the BSP besides preparing to contest on all seats, was also talking with the Congress and other smaller parties for an alliance. However, the Congress does not seem to be interested in aligning with the BSP in Rajasthan but was ready for negotiations in the other two states. Chalking out a strategy to expand the party’s base in other states, Mayawati removed BSP co-ordinator looking after poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh in-charge and MlC Atar Singh Rao was replaced by Rajya Sabha MP, Dr Ashok Siddharth.
Mayawati has already asked one of her loyalists and BSP national general secretary Ram Achal Rajbhar to keep a close tab on developments in Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, Dr Siddharth was so far looking after Karnatka (which recently went to polls and the BSP opened its account) and other southern states. Besides MP and Karnatka, Dr Siddharth will also look after party affairs in Maharastra and Andman and Nicobar. Atar Singh Rao, who was removed from MP, will now look after party affairs in Haryana and Punjab and workd as co-ordinator of both states.
Recently removed BSP national general secretary Veer Singh was replaced by Mayawati’s close lieutenant Ramji lal Gautam and he would now co-ordinate the working in some southern State including Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Rajya Sabha member Munkad Ali, who till now was looking after some zones of UP, has been entrusted the responsibility of party affairs in Rajasthan.
Similarly, former minister and Mayawati confidante lalji Verma was also given the responsibility of strengthening the party in Chattisgarh. A senior BSP leader said that the changes have been made by Mayawati as she was seriously looking for an alliance with Congress or other smaller outfits in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh to boost the party’s electoiral prospects in 2019 Parliament elections.