Mayawati claims Muslims shifting towards BSP, questions SP's PDA campaign
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday claimed that the Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh, who largely voted for the Samajwadi Party (SP) in previous elections, were now "rapidly" shifting their support towards the BSP, on the lines of Brahmins among upper castes.
In a long post on X, Mayawati also questioned the SP's "PDA" campaign, alleging that its colour had increasingly come to resemble the BJP-RSS's saffron rather than the SP's red.
"The SP chief's promoted 'PDA Rath' for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections has less of the SP's own red colour and more of the RSS/BJP's 'saffron' colour," she said.
"People are discussing whether this is the SP chief changing colours like a chameleon continuously for the sake of votes, or whether he has lost confidence in getting votes from Muslims," Mayawati said.
The former chief minister claimed that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh had become aware that despite giving the SP "largely one-sided votes" in previous elections, the party failed to prevent the BJP from forming governments in the state and at the Centre.
"Why should they repeatedly vote for this party and waste their votes?" she asked, adding that "in this matter, they are now rapidly changing their attitude in favour of the BSP, just like the Brahmin community among the upper castes".
Mayawati highlighted that the BSP had demonstrated its governance credentials in Uttar Pradesh on several occasions.
"The BSP has established an 'Iron Lady' rule here several times, particularly in matters of crime control and law and order, along with governance based on the rule of law and in matters of broad public interest, welfare and development," she said.
She asserted that the state "needs this in the interest and welfare of all sections of society".
Mayawati also asked the SP to explain the "reality" of its PDA formulation, alleging that the party had used different interpretations of the acronym for electoral purposes.
"The SP should certainly tell the people what the real reality of its 'PDA' is," she said, claiming that the party had at different times described "PD" as "Pichhda, Dalit" (backward, Dalit) and "Pandit".
She further alleged that SP leaders, at times, wore blue clothes associated with the BSP while portraying themselves as Ambedkarites, but were "immediately rejected by the people as fake Ambedkarites".
Mayawati noted that BSP, in contrast, followed the Ambedkarite principle of "Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay" (welfare and happiness of all).
"It is an Ambedkarite party committed to the welfare of all sections of society and stands for a life of self-respect and dignity, with food, employment and self-reliance for everyone," she said.
"That is why the BSP has its own respect among all sections of society," Mayawati added.
