The NDF has decided to project its president, Union Steel and Fertiliser minister and LJP chief, Ram Vilas Paswan, as the most suitable PM candidate.
The National Dalit Front (NDF) has decided to project its president, Union Steel and Fertiliser minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief, Ram Vilas Paswan, as the most suitable prime ministerial candidate in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
"Paswan is the most suitable candidate for the prime ministerial post as he has the unique capability and experience to work for the welfare and all round development of Dalits while taking others along," Udit Raj, the Front's general secretary and president of the Indian Justice Party, a constituent of the NDF, said here on Thursday.
Coming down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati and her dreams of becoming prime minister, he said that after coming to power on the support and backing of Dalits she has been wooing the upper castes and merely installing statues and setting up parks as if these were the only things that needed to be done to uplift the deprived sections of society.
The front is aiming to contest about 300 to 350 Lok Sabha seats in the coming elections, Raj said, adding that polarisation of Dalit votes would weaken Mayawati who is rendering only lip service to them and enjoying the fruits of power by exploiting their votes.
Raj said Mayawati's vote bank in Uttar Pradesh will be halved if Samajwadi Party joins hands with the Front and works together.
He said Paswan who attended a programme organised by Uda Devi Trust here on Wdnesday, has also stressed for unity of Pasi, Valmiki and Khatik castes and lamented as to how only a handful of castes had been benefiting under the Mayawati government when the Central government has launched numerous schemes for the deprived sections of society.
He said that Paswan at the helm would ensure that such schemes meant for the Dalits and deprived are implemented earnestly in all the states, specially in Uttar Pradesh where the state's Dalit chief minister has been harping on the slogan of "Sarv Samaj" to reap political gains.
Besides the Justice Party, the Front constitutes Paswan's LJP, Republican Party, Gondwana Gadtantra, Dalit Panther, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti of Karnataka, Orissa Mukti Morcha of Orissa besides some parties of Jharkhand, he said.
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