Minister for Primary and Secondary Education N. Mahesh’s remark that mainstream political parties, including the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S), have done little to eradicate social and economic disparities has triggered speculation of an undercurrent of unease within the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in being an ally of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government.
The comments of the lone BSP Minister in the State Cabinet have assumed significance in the backdrop of his party supremo Mayawati’s announcement that the BSP would not ally with the Congress in the Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan Assembly polls.
The Minister, who was attending a party workers’ meet in Chamarajanagar on Wednesday, called upon the rank and file of the organisation to gear up for the Lok Sabha elections without being swayed by rumours of seat-sharing among the coalition partners. He said that fielding candidates in elections was different from extending support or joining the government, which would come only at a later stage. He urged BSP workers to get into campaign mode to strengthen the party.
He also remarked that no mainstream political party had worked sincerely to eradicate disparities as envisaged in the Constitution, and that had they worked sincerely the BSP would not have come into existence.