BSP will get UP back in order, prevent migrations: Mayawati

Banda (UP): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and former chief minister Mayawati on Thursday hit out at political opponents terming them anti-development and facilitators of injustice, and promised that her party will reinstate the rule of law and prevent migration of the youth for jobs on coming to power.

"We are fighting to form a majority government like in 2007 to get rid of the casteist, narrow-minded, arrogant and dictatorial rule of the BJP. You will have to support BSP, the only party that cares for all sections of the society, to ensure this," Mayawati said addressing an election rally in Banda.

The BSP formed its government in 2007 assembly elections with 206 seats but its seat count reduced to 80 in 2012 elections and further to just 19 seats in 2017 election. The Congress has been in the power for decades after Independence but due to its bad policies, it is now out of power both at the Centre and in the state, Mayawati said and added that the party "is against people from Dalit and backward communities."

"When Congress is in power it forgets to do anything for women and people from Dalit and backward castes," she added. "Dacoits used to rule this area of Banda and Chitrakoot that forced locals to migrate in search of jobs. When BSP came to power we removed dacoits from this region," Mayawati asserted. Hitting out at the SP government, she said, "Development of people from a particular caste was done in the previous government but the BSP government worked for the development of every section of society, including those from the backward castes. But the work done by us was undone by the Samajwadi Party and BJP when they came to power."

She also appealed to the people that the Samajwadi Party and the BJP must not be elected to power again in the state. "BSP is the only party that provided employment to the youth. Our efforts not only stopped migration but also brought people who had migrated to other places back to their homes. I want to assure you that the youth will not have to migrate in search of jobs if BSP forms government.