LUCKNOW, Oct 29: BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday appealed to the Muslim community to unite and extend “direct support” to her party instead of the Samajwadi Party and Congress in order to defeat the “destructive politics” of the BJP in elections.
Mayawati said that despite Muslims voting overwhelmingly in favour of the SP, the party has failed to defeat the BJP.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief made the remarks while presiding over a special meeting of the party’s ‘Muslim Samaj Bhaichara Sangathan’ here. She also issued key directions aimed at strengthening the BSP’s support base among Muslims.
“From the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and several earlier elections, it has become evident that despite Muslims extending full support — emotionally, physically, and financially — the SP and Congress have failed to stop the BJP. In contrast, the BSP has managed to defeat the BJP even with limited Muslim support, and in 2007, it formed a majority government in the state,” she said, according to a BSP statement.
“It is essential to support the BSP directly, instead of the SP and Congress, with the solidarity of the Muslim community, so that the BJP’s ‘ghaatak raajneeti’ (destructive politics) can be defeated in the elections,” Mayawati said.
The former CM alleged that both the SP and Congress have historically pursued politics that is “anti-Dalit, anti-backward, and anti-Muslim.” She said their “wrong policies and activities” were responsible for strengthening the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
“Not only in the 2022 Assembly elections but in almost every election, these parties –?SP and Congress — have used every means possible, including manipulation and deceit, not to defeat the BJP but to harm the BSP. Despite receiving one-sided Muslim votes, they have failed to stop the BJP. The Muslim community should understand this reality sooner rather than later,” she said.
Recalling her tenure as chief minister, Mayawati said, “As a party and as a government, the BSP ensured the real welfare of Muslims by guaranteeing them safety, security, and fair representation at every level. We provided excellent law and order to protect their lives, property, and faith, and worked to curb casteism and communalism to a great extent.”
She further said the BSP was the first government that took a firm stand against injustice, lawlessness, and criminal elements, and worked to ensure justice for the oppressed.
“We made Uttar Pradesh free from riots, exploitation, injustice, and fear, while the tall claims of other parties have largely remained hollow. Their words and actions differ completely,” she asserted.
Mayawati said, “Lakhs of Dalits, tribals, backward classes, Muslims, and other religious minorities are integral parts of the BSP’s ‘Bahujan Samaj.’ The party’s mission is to uplift these deprived and neglected communities through political empowerment, enabling them to live a life of dignity and self-respect as envisioned in the Constitution’s humanitarian and welfare principles, which are essential to making India truly great.”
During the meeting, which was attended by office-bearers of the Muslim Samaj Bhaichara Sangathan, along with BSP’s Uttar Pradesh president, all district presidents, and zonal coordinators, participants were also briefed about the Election Commission’s special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
The BSP president instructed party leaders to ensure at the booth level that no eligible voter’s name is left out of the list. She directed them to assist those whose names are missing by filling out the prescribed forms and attaching the required documents to have their names included.
Mayawati also detailed various initiatives undertaken by her government for the welfare of Muslims during her tenure as chief minister. (PTI)