BSP chief Mayawati to campaign in three states, to skip Uttar Pradesh

Neha Lalchandani / TNN / Updated: Oct 11, 2019, 15:15 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

While BSP is contesting byelections for the first time since 2007, party chief Mayawati is expected to give Uttar Pradesh a miss during the campaign phase. She is instead scheduled to address at least eight rallies in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana, all of which are going to polls on October 21, along with 11 seats in UP where bypolls to assembly seats are to take place.

BSP chief Mayawati to campaign in three states, to skip Uttar Pradesh

File photo of BSP chief Mayawati

LUCKNOW: While BSP is contesting byelections for the first time since 2007, party chief Mayawati is expected to give Uttar Pradesh a miss during the campaign phase. She is instead scheduled to address at least eight rallies in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana, all of which are going to polls on October 21, along with 11 seats in UP where bypolls to assembly seats are to take place.

UP has been left to BSP district coordinators to handle, with several names from the party’s list of star campaigners unlikely to visit the state, including Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand, who was also named the party’s national coordinator earlier this year.
BSP is contesting all 11 seats, including Jalalpur in Ambedkar Nagar which it would be fighting to retain.
“So far, there is no schedule for Behenji to campaign in UP. Party MP SC Mishra, whose son-in-law’s father and another close aide are contesting from Kanpur and Lucknow Cantonment, respectively, is also unlikely to come for campaigning as he has been made in-charge of Haryana. Meanwhile, Akash is not campaigning independently and will only, if at all, be travelling with Mayawati where ever she goes,” said a senior party member, adding that UP has been handed over entirely to local leaders for the purpose of byelections.

In Maharashtra, Mayawati will be addressing a rally on October 14. Two more meetings, one in Pune and another in Baramati, are also expected though dates for these have not been formalised. Mayawati will also be addressing four public meetings in Haryana and at least one in Jharkhand.
“The result of the UP elections is not going to change anything, apart from perception. For the party, it is equally crucial to win seats in other states to have a national presence. Behenji has deposed immense confidence in the local leadership in UP and entrusted them with carrying out a successful campaign,” said a party leader, adding that she is closely observing every aspect of the campaign from Delhi, where she is at present.

End of Article