Upset over her party’s debacle in the recent Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati announced to move court after the Election Commission (EC) dismissed her complaint of EVMs being tampered with.
The BSP chief also warned of launching a nationwide stir and observe ‘Black Day’ on the 11th of every month in all capitals and district headquarters of the two states. Mayawati was addressing a meeting of BSP leaders while assessing the poll results in lucknow on Wednesday.
The BSP chief said that the first Black Day would be observed on April 11. Though the BSP received around 22 per cent of votes, it could only win 19 of the 403 seats in the UP Assembly. In Uttarakhand too, it drew a blank despite contesting all the seats.
“The countrywide protests will continue till the BJP and the EC accepted our demand of re-poll in all the seats in both states by using the traditional ballot papers to prevent such tampering,” Mayawati stressed.
The BSP president pointed out that the BJP leaders too were not very elated despite the landslide victory as they too were aware of the dishonest practices engaged.
“The UP and Uttarakhand results could not be soaked in by any one. Even the media has questioned the BJP victory,” she further said.
Annoyed with the EC for rejecting her demand to order a probe into the allegation of EVM tampering, Mayawati said that she was left with no other option but to move the court.
Advocating the BSP’s demand for election being held using ballot papers, Mayawati said,”Even developed countries have not gone for EVMs and were still holding elections with ballot papers.’’
Replying to the BJP’s counter that if EVMs were tampered with, then why did the BJP lose in Punjab and could not get absolute majority in Manipur and Goa, Mayawati said ,”The BJP’s was desperate to gain majority in UP and Uttarakhand as it is the route to win 2019 lok Sabha polls.”
“This win of the BJP is not a victory of honesty. It is in fact a mockery of democracy,” she said to a big applause by BSP leaders.
Mayawati questioned that if BJP leaders were honest then why were they afraid to go for a probe into the ‘tampering’ of EVMs. She also lambasted BJP leaders for their comments in the media that the BSP was finished.
Announcing that the BSP has started preparing for 2019 lok Sabha polls, Mayawati warned the people that the BJP would wait for 2019 elections and then end reservation policy.
“People from Dalit, Backward classes and tribals should never support the BJP as it will doom their future. The RSS has already conveyed that they were not in support of reservation system,” she alleged.
Mayawati also lambasted the media, particularly news channels saying that several channels held debates daily and BJP brokers were called to criticise the BSP and prophecise that the party was finished.
The BSP chief appointed lalji Verma as the new legislative Party leader of BSP in the up Assembly.
Earlier, Mayawati went to Kanshi Ram Memorial in lucknow and paid floral tributes on his 83rd birth anniversary. She also paid tributes to her mentor Kanshi Ram in the meeting and said that it was his dream to provide equal rights to Dalits, tribals and backwards.