Mayawati wants coalition govt at the Centre

Lucknow, Jan 2 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has called for the formation of a coalition government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election due to be held this year.

In a statement, she said, “In the interest of the country and the people, a coalition government is necessary at the Centre. The coalition government will have the support of the sarva-samaj (all communities). It will protect democracy, the Constitution and democratic principles. It will also work for the welfare of the deprived communities, protect them from slavery and atrocities.”

“People should be wary of the narrow nationalism of the BJP that has made the reservation policy ineffective. The BJP government will not work for the development and progress of the weaker sections of the society,” she further said.

The BSP president said, “When the BSP supported a coalition government at the Centre (the National Front government led by Vishwanath Pratap Singh in 1989-90), it ensured that policies for welfare of the Bahujan communities were implemented by the central government. The BSP also ensured that Bhimrao Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna (posthumously) and the Mandal Commission recommendations for 27 per cent reservation in government jobs for the OBCs were implemented.”

The four-term BSP governments in Uttar Pradesh worked for the weaker sections with the ‘sarvajan hitay- sarvajan sukhay’ formula, she asserted.

The BSP was not invited to the fourth meeting of the INDIA bloc held in New Delhi on December 19 even as a section of the Opposition alliance partners raised the demand for including the BSP in the formation but the Samajwadi Party opposed this.

Nevertheless, the BSP chief had talks with INDIA bloc leaders during her stay in New Delhi, according to sources.

Even after the SP had reportedly opposed the move to induct the BSP into the INDIA bloc, Mayawati has indicated that she wished to keep the doors open for future political alignments.

Taking a dig at the BJP’s "Modi ki guarantee campaign”, Mayawati said the rest of the guarantees have proved to be more of the deceitful politics of narrow nationalism, due to which about 100 crore people remain oppressed and destitute.

The welfare of crores of poor has been affected due to ill-effects of the long-running casteist, arrogant and non-inclusive Congress government earlier and the BJP government now, she said.

“Therefore, now in this parliamentary election year, we make a strong appeal to people to form a government that is friendly to the people and dedicated to the public interest and welfare of the deprived people,” she said.