Gear up for early polls, Mayawati tells partymen

The Times of India News Service

LUCKNOW: The BSP vice-president Mayawati started the election preparation for her party in right earnest, holding a marathon meeting of office-bearers, legislators and and prospective candidates for the next Assembly polls here on Wednesday.

Addressing the meeting, Mayawati auggested her partmen the polls guidelines and called upon them to launch a decisive agitation against the BJP-led government in villages. July 20 was the proposed date for the onset of the agitation.

Hold agitations at all district headquarters, Mayawati told her party workers in no uncertain manner. She also asked them to galvanise people against the misrule of the Government.

A 11-point pamphlet containing issues like Rajnath Singh Government's inability to issue fresh notification on Ayodhya case, increase in atrocities on SC/ST, deterioration in law and order, increase in plights of farmers, posting of SC/ST officers on insignificant posts, fixing the age-limit for chairmen of SC/ST Commission, State Backward Commission and State Minority Commission and non-filling of reservation quota in Government jobs, was also distributed.

Earlier, addressing a press conference, she said that there are indications that State Assembly elections would be held on October. "This was evident from the transfer of IAS and IPS officers," she said.

The way the Government had sidelined good dalit and efficient officers and posted tainted officers at important places was politically motivated and done with the purpose, she said, adding: "The shifting was done with election in mind."

Reiterating that BSP would go alone in the polls, she said: "We are prepared for an early election. Half the candidates had already been identified by the party and the rest would be finalised soon."

The BSP leader said the support to her party has cut all the caste barriers. People from upper caste are inclined to join the BSP too, she said. Talking about attacks on dalits she said: "The atrocities on the dalits were manifestation of sheer frustration on the part of the ruling BJP, which had colluded with the SP."