Mayawati concerted bid to woo upper castes
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday assured the upper castes that they would be given adequate representation in the distribution of tickets and in the government, but only after ensuring their support to the party.
Ms. Mayawati made it clear that though the Bahujan Samaj Party’s core ideology of social brotherhood would not change, certain aspects of mobilisation were introduced to broadbase the party’s upper caste base.
Population of the different upper castes would not be the basis for giving them representation. Instead, their commitment to the BSP’s ideology and support for the party would be the deciding factor, Ms. Mayawati said.
Addressing the convention on upper castes here, she said adequate representation was given to the Brahmins before the 2007 U.P. Assembly elections only after she was assured that the Brahmin ‘samaj’ would vote for the party. Stating that poverty and unemployment stared in the face of about 80 per cent of the upper castes in the country, Ms. Mayawati said they should contribute in the formation of a BSP government at the Centre, which was the safest bet for improving their condition.
The poor among the upper castes would be given reservation in government jobs, she said.
She said several decisions had been taken by the BSP government for the welfare of the upper castes. Ms. Mayawati attacked the Congress-led UPA government on its silence on the Rs.80,000-crore package, which, she said, would have enabled her to take more decisions in the interest of the upper castes. Ms. Mayawati exhorted them to join forces with the deprived sections of the Bahujan Samaj for getting political power at the Centre.
Strengthen foundation
The Chairman of UP Advisory Council, Satish Chandra Mishra, called upon the gathering to strengthen the foundation of social revolution fostered by Ms. Mayawati.
He said the social engineering formula was a success as the non-Brahmin and non-Thakur upper castes like the Vaishyas were moving towards the BSP.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/20/stories/2008102054150500.htm
