lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Mar 06, 2019 10:38 IST

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Tuesday directed the party leaders not to use their big photographs on hoardings and banners during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

According to the directives, all banners and hoardings should have big pictures of Mayawati, dalit icons and party symbol with a small photograph of the Lok Sabha candidate on the lower corner of the hoarding.

The directive was read to party leaders and office-bearers by BSP zonal coordinator and Rajya Sabha member Bhimrao Ambedkar at the party’s divisional level meeting held here on Tuesday.

“The party president has asked the leaders and candidates not to put up their big pictures on hoardings and banners at public places. Many leaders have put up hoardings which violate the directive. All such hoardings and banners should be immediately removed,” Ambedkar said.

He said the leaders who continued to violate the order would be expelled from the party. “If a leader wishes to put up hoardings, he will have to submit an application with the sample of the hoarding at the state unit office. The approved samples will be used for campaigning and creating awareness among the people,” Ambedkar said.

“The party leaders should understand that ‘behenji’ (Mayawati) is the messiah of dalits. She is revered by members of the Scheduled Caste community across the country and there is no bigger dalit leader than her. All hoardings and banners should have her big pictures,” he said.

A senior BSP leader, who did not wish to be named, said Mayawati was trying to instil discipline among party leaders and office-bearers before the crucial Lok Sabha election.

The BSP leaders have also been directed to work in co-ordination with the Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders and workers.

In the review meeting held on Sunday, Mayawati had expressed concern over the continuing differences between the BSP and SP workers and appealed them to work in coordination.

According to BSP leaders, the party is also planning to launch campaigns to create awareness about the working of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) as it would be used in polling.

“Majority of BSP supporters live in rural areas and many of them are illiterate and not tech savvy. There is a need to train them about the use of VVPAT,” said another BSP leader.

Meanwhile, the BSP is also planning to celebrate the birth anniversary of party founder Kanshi Ram on March 15.

“The party supporters will gather at Kanshi Ram Memorial in Lucknow to pay their obeisance. The supporters have been urged to donate generously for the programme. If the model code of conduct is implemented before March 15, the programme will be celebrated in a simple manner,” Ambedkar said.

“The party leaders have also started organising meetings at divisional and district headquarters across the state from Tuesday. The BSP will transfer its vote to SP candidates on the seats that have been allotted to alliance partner. The same formula will be followed by the SP on seats allotted to it,” he added.