Ready for tie-ups if given a good deal, or else BSP will go alone: Mayawati

In a strategic move ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Saturday declared that her party was open to alliance if it was given respectable seats in the pre-election pact. “…otherwise, the BSP will contest the election on its own strength,” said Mayawati.

She also announced that her brother Anand Kumar will be removed from the post of the national vice-president to send a message to the cadre that she was not promoting dynasty in the party. Promotion of Kumar a year back had led to the resentment in the party with senior leaders such as Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Swami Prasad Maurya, Indrajit Saroj and Jugul Kishore quitting the party. To quell any further problems, Mayawati announced that family members of the national president will not be appointed office-bearer in the party organisation. Moreover, to check infighting among senior leaders for the top post, Mayawati said she will be active in politics for another 20-22 years and no one will be projected as her successor.

“Rather than dreaming for the top post, the leaders should use their energy in strengthening the party,” she said.

To send a message to the Dalit community, she appointed two senior Dalit leaders —Vir Singh and Jai Prakash Singh — as national coordinators.

Vir has also been made national general secretary, while Jai Prakash is the national vice-president. Both of them will review the working of the state units across the country.

State president Ramachal Rajbhar was made the national general secretary and RS Kushwaha was made the state president.

Insiders said the rebellion by Swami Prasad Maurya, who was considered the backward face of the BSP, has cut the channel among the backward community and Kushwaha had been promoted with an intent to fill up the void created by Maurya’s exit.

The decisions were taken at the BSP national executive meeting held under the chairmanship of Mayawati at state unit office.

BSP leaders and workers from various states attended the meet. While many raised slogans in support of Mayawati, some of them demanded that she be projected as prime ministerial candidate by the non-BJP alliance.

Addressing party leaders, Mayawati said the BSP will not confine itself to northern states but will opt for pan India standing and will field candidates in South and West Indian states too.

She appointed close aide Ashok Siddharth as the in charge of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Senior leader Gauri Prasad has been made the in charge of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

She said talks were going on with like-minded political parties for pre-poll alliance in various states but the alliance will be finalised only after the BSP is assured of respectable seats.

Mayawati directed the party leaders to gear up for the Lok Sabha election as well as assembly elections in three states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. After setback in Karnataka, the BJP might go for early Lok Sabha election, she said.