The BSP while releasing its nominee list on Wednesday said it comprises Dalits, north Indians, and Muslims to represent the weakest segments.
Contrary to the various Republican Party of India factions, who have teamed up with one or the other party for the upcoming BMC polls, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) plans to contest in 50 of the city’s 227 wards, albeit sans any ally.
Moreover, in keeping with the formula that swept it to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, the BSP while releasing its nominee list on Wednesday said it comprises Dalits, north Indians, and Muslims to represent the weakest segments of the city, a sentiment echoed by the Republican Party of India (A) chief Ramdas Athavale on the same day.
Stating that north Indians have realised that the Congress was backing the MNS, which had attacked north Indians a couple of years ago to win votes, BSP Maharashtra unit president Vilas Garud said, “North Indians realise the Congress is using them and want to move away.” While flaying the various RPI factions for dividing the Dalit votes, Garud came out strongly against Ramdas Athavale for “shifting from the Congress-NCP camp to the Sena-BJP”. “This kind of shifting only helps the major parties, and not the Dalit parties or society,” he added.
Pointing out that RPI (A) has allied with the Shiv-Sena-BJP, RPI (Kawade) with the Congress and Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar, is allied with the NCP, Garud said his party’s aim was grab power in the long run. “And this could be only achieved by contesting independently. (Dr Babasaheb) Ambedkar had said this party (the original Republican Party of India) would take time to bear fruit. We are willing to wait,” Garud said.
Meanwhile, Athavale declared that his party too would be fielding non-Dalit candidates from its allotted 29 seats. He said about half his candidates would be non-Dalits. Incidentally, 22 of the 29 wards with Athavale are in the non-reserved category.
And seeking to take on the BSP on its home turf, UP, he announced that the RPI (A) would be contesting the state elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Manipur. Interestingly, Athavale is playing the Dalit card in UP. “In UP, Dalit voters have turned away from the BSP which is fielding non-Dalit candidates and we expect to get their votes,” he said.
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