Mayawati kickstarts campaign attacking BJP and Congress in UP

BSP supremo Mayawati Sunday said the BJP is "panicking" and will face a defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, as she addressed the first rally of opposition grand-alliance in Uttar Pradesh, where she also slammed the Congress, saying it does not want the grouping to win and will only divide votes. Flanked by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal's Ajit Singh, Mayawati said the Congress and the BJP have ruled the country for a majority of the period post-Independence, but they followed "wrong" policies.

"The Congress has failed, despite ruling for so many years. In the Congress-ruled states, wrongful practices came to notice...so they eventually lost their voter base," she claimed. For the BJP, she said, it failed to fulfil its promises and, therefore, it "will keep advertising its hawa-hawai (lofty) schemes till the poll results are announced".

"If the prime minister (Narendra Modi) was serious about the welfare of poor, they would not have been inaugurating schemes after polls were announced... they would have performed during their five years. In the last budget... whatever announcements were made by the government were nothing but empty poll promises," she said. "Now that the BJP is panicking, you should know they are on their way out... and grand alliance will come to power," she said.

She said the BJP will lose the elections because of its "policies inspired by hatred, especially their 'chowkidar' campaign. No matter how much the chhote, bade chowkidars try, the BJP will not win", she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often referred to himself as "chowkidar" (watchman) of the country's interest -- both within and outside India and even prefixed

the word to his name on Twitter. Several BJP leaders followed the prime minister and added 'chowkidar' before their names. Mayawati said, "Removing Modi is not enough, (UP CM) Yogi (Adityanath) also needs to be shown the door."

Eight western UP seats are going to polls on April 11, the first phase of elections. Unsparing in her attack on the Congress, she targeted it over its manifesto promise of ensuring a minimum guaranteed income for poor under a scheme called 'NYAY' -- Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY).

"Indira Gandhi too made a 20-point programme to remove poverty. Was it effective?" she asked the gathering. She said if the 'mahagathbandhan' comes to power after the poll, "our government, instead of giving minimum income support, will give employment to poor people."

She said that unlike others "we are silent workers". "Our party performs without making noise. The Congress too has been making tall claims. Haven't they been given enough chances over decades? They were wiped out from several states. The 'Nyay' is not a stable solution for removing poverty."

She railed against the BJP government, alleging it has been "misusing" probe agencies such as the CBI and ED against its rivals. She also claimed that the "divisive thought" process of these parties are hurting the backward communities and they are "not benefiting from reservation".

"They are being exploited. Minorities are also suffering," she claimed. She also charged that corruption has increased at all levels under the present government. She bracketed the Congress and the BJP together on the issue.

"The Congress was tainted by the Bofors scam, the BJP dispensation by the Rafale," she said, "you don't need to give another chance to them. These parties have already been given enough chances". She also criticised the practice of opinion poll, alleging they are used by political parties to "misguide voters". "Do not get swayed," she appealed to the voters.

She assured the gathering that if voted to power, a grand alliance government will ensure farmers are no longer in debt. "Sugarcane farmers are suffering in UP... their grievances are being ignored," the former chief minister said.

She said the Congress thinks alliance should not win, even if they lose. "Roadshows, holy dips in the Ganga, Yamuna and giving tickets to film stars are just strategies for these parties to win elections. Congress is not strong enough to give a tough fight to BJP...only the grand-alliance can fight the BJP. The Congress is of the view that whether they win or not... alliance shouldn't win," she said.

"Especially in western UP, where people of all communities reside...In Saharanpur, Bareilly, where there is a huge Muslim population... I want to tell the people of the Muslim community... Don't divide your vote...Give your vote to the BSP, the RLD. "When you people vote on the polling day, please come out in huge numbers. I want to tell you that women will definitely not be on the backfoot when it comes to casting vote," she told the gathering.

She claimed that the Congress was busy dividing the votes. "You don't have to divide your vote, you have to vote for the deserving side," Mayawati said.

(With inputs from agencies.)