BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday held a rally after four years, alleging that several anti-Dalit decisions had been taken in Uttar Pradesh in recent years and they would be withdrawn if she was voted to power in 2027.
“The people’s interest in this rally is an indication that the Bahujan Samaj Party is coming back to power in the state in 2027. We’ll contest alone this time,” the former chief minister and Dalit leader told a massive rally at the Kanshi Ram memorial in Lucknow on the occasion of the 19th death anniversary of her mentor and BSP founder.
Mayawati had last held a rally in 2021 on the death anniversary of Kanshi Ram. The BSP won just one seat in the 2022 Assembly elections.
On Thursday, she accused the “casteist parties” of trying to change the Constitution. She reminded the crowd that the BSP had been in power four times in Uttar Pradesh.
“The BSP had come to power with full majority in 2007 but the casteist BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party conspired together against us to keep us away from power at the Centre. EVMs also played a role in this,” she claimed, adding that elections should be held with ballot papers.
Mayawati alleged that the Akhilesh Yadav government (2012-2017) had stolen money collected through tickets from the parks and memorials built by her in Lucknow and Noida (between 2007 and 2012), but thanked the Yogi Adityanath government for protecting them well.
