Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 29

Upping the ante in Punjab, BSP supremo Mayawati has asked the cadre to ensure the success of party’s alliance with the SAD in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“The cadre must ensure victory on all seats being contesting by the alliance in the Punjab Assembly elections,” Mayawat told party leaders during a meeting to review the working of party’s Delhi unit.

The elections in Punjab are due in February-March next year. Referring to the BSP-SAD alliance, she urged party activists to ensure its victory on all seats. “In the larger interest of the people and to ensure they are liberated from the failed Congress government, a robust effort by the BSP is imperative,” Mayawati told party functionaries.

“The present Congress government is ridden with internal squabbles and factionalism. The party’s internal feud has led to neglect of public issues and welfare of the people for long,” she said.

Mayawati further said in the present situation, people had hopes from the SAD-BSP alliance.

BSP’s moves in Punjab will be keenly watched by the Congress, BJP, and the AAP, which has all the more reason to worry.

AAP’s meteoric rise in the state is generally attributed to the support of a sizeable chunk of Scheduled Caste voter, and other poorer and weaker sections of the society.

The state has a high percentage of SC population, which the SAD would like to wean away with BSP support. Party founder late Kanshi Ram hailed from the state. He launched his campaign to mobilise SCs (“Bahujan Samaj”) politically.

After strenuous efforts, he took the campaign across the country, following which Uttar Pradesh emerged as the BSP citadel, with Mayawati becoming the Chief Minister, and its supremo after his demise.