BSP decides not to contest in UP panchayat polls
text_fieldsBSP president Mayawati on Monday has declared that her party has decided not to contest the zila panchayat chairman elections. Mayawati told mediapersons that,the party has decided to concentrate on strengthening the party organisation and expand the base, instead of contesting the zila parishad chairman elections
Accusing that Zila panchayat chairman elections are not being held in a transparent manner, she clarified that her party would have contested if the elections would have been impartial,reports IANS.
Alleging misuse of state machinery in the polls, she said the BJP was using the same tactics that were used by the earlier Samajwadi Party government. The former chief minister also claimed that during the BSP government, there had never been any fraud or wrongdoings in big or small elections so as to keep the faith of the people intact in democracy.
Exuding her confidence about BSP lead govt in the state next year, she also said that the majority of the zila panchayat chairman themselves will join the BSP once the BSP forms its government in the state
"As Zila panchayat chairmans cannot function without power, we have kept this fact in mind and so decided not to contest the election", she told
The BSP president asserted that her party will go to polls with the slogan "Uttar Pradesh ko bachana hai, bachana hai, sarvjan ko bachana hai, bachana hai, BSP ko satta mein lana hai, zaroor lana hai" (We need to save Uttar Pradesh and save everyone and bring back BSP to power). She also added that the people of the state want her party to form the next government.
The former Chief Minister of UP said that oppostion parties are spreaing rumours against BSP saying that the party does not appear to be as active to make the party workers get discouraged. She accused that opposition parties are working as per a planned conspiracy against BSP and also warned BSP workers and leaders to be wary of all kinds of tactics of opposition
Stressing that ever since the first wave of corona subsided, she added that she has been in Lucknow since the beginning of February holding regular meetings with partymen for strengthening the party at every level.
"Unlike other parties I do not invite the media to show what all is being done. Meetings with partymen of other states are also being held. Media, which is strong pillar of democracy, should also not underestimate the BSP ,she added
About 3,000 recently elected district panchayat members across UP will vote for the zila panchayat chairman elections which will be held on July 3. The results of the poll will be announced on the same day. The Panchayat polls are being considered as the semi-final for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections to be held in 2022
Meanwhile Mayawati's decision prompted a sharp response from the Uttar Pradesh Congress.
"The statement by Mayawati that her party will not contest the zila panchayat chairmen's elections makes it clear that whenever she has to help the BJP, she pulls back from contesting the polls," UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh tweeted in Hindi.
The BSP had performed poorly in the first phase of the Panchayat polls held in May and finished third, lagging behind the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samajwadi Party. Mayawati's announcement came a day after she announced that her party will contest next year's Assembly polls alone and there will be no alliance with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, as announced by a section of media.