india

Updated: Dec 18, 2018 19:57 IST

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is planning to utilise the 63rd birthday celebrations of its president Mayawati on January 15 to showcase the unity of parties trying to forge a non-BJP, non-Congress alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BSP may also launch its election campaign on the occasion.

A BSP leader, who did not wish to be named, said: “Leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Janata Dal (Secular), Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) and other regional parties will be invited to attend the programme.”

Currently, Mayawati is camping in Delhi to review preparations for Lok Sabha elections and hold meetings with partners to give final touches to the alliance formula.

The BSP leader said that by skipping the oath-taking ceremony of the Congress chief ministers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, she sent out a message that though the BSP would support the Congress in two states, it would not ally with them for the Lok Sabha elections.

Mayawati as well as Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had skipped a meeting held by the opposition parties in Delhi on December 10.

“The policies and ideology of both the Congress and the BJP is against the weaker sections,” she had said.

In Karnataka, Mayawati had played a pivotal role in the formation of JD (S)-Congress-BSP government to stopping the Bharatiya Janata Party from grabbing power, but a poor performance in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh gave jolt to the party which was looking forward to emerge as a kingmaker.

On Mayawati’s future plans, another BSP leader said, “Behenji (Mayawati) is likely to land in Lucknow in the first week of January. She will hold a meeting with party leaders and office-bearers to review preparations for Lok Sabha elections.”

He said along with overhauling the organisation, she might also announce the launch of a campaign against the state government’s “anti-people” policies to mobilise the cadre for election.

“District units of the party have been directed to start preparations at the grassroots level. The party will also draw a fresh plan to stop the Bhim Army, led by Dalit leader Chandrashekhar, from making inroads into the BSP vote bank,” he said.

BSP state unit president RS Kushwaha has held meetings with party office-bearers in all the districts.

“Booth level committees, bhai-chara committees and cadre camps have been activated in districts,” he said.

After losing 2007 assembly election, BSP has been celebrating Mayawati’s birthday as ‘Jankalyankari Diwas’.

“The party leaders help the needy, poor and handicapped. They also visit Dalit villages and hospitals to distribute fruits and blankets,” said a senior BSP leader.

Mayawati is likely to release the new edition of ‘A Travelogue of my Struggle Ridden Life and BSP movement’ penned by her along with a calendar of the party.

The birthday bash of BSP chief is usually a big occasion for party workers. After a month-long donation campaign, the party leaders present a moneybag as gift to Mayawati. She then cuts a cake and addresses party leaders and workers.