By IANS,
Jammu : The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would bring development to the doorsteps of people in Jammu and Kashmir, party president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said here Wednesday.
Addressing a large election rally here, ahead of the fifth round of polling on Dec 13, Mayawati said her party would bring to an end the “era of exploitation, backwardness and neglect”.
Charging the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with bartering the interests of the people, she said: “The BSP alone can guard your interests.”
“We stand for the poor and downtrodden,” Mayawati said to loud cheers at the rally where blue flags emblazoned with the party symbol – the elephant – fluttered all over.
Stating that her party had changed the socio-political and economic scene in Uttar Pradesh, she said: “Our party will ensure equal share in decision making for all communities and bring development to the doorsteps of the people.”
The BSP, which is contesting all 37 seats in Jammu region and hopes to make a dent in the electoral fortunes of the Congress and the BJP, would usher in a new era of progress and development, Mayawati promised.
“We have done it in Uttar Pradesh. And we will do it here too,” she said, adding that people in Jammu and Kashmir were suffering from unemployment and a lack of basic amenities.
“Our eyes are set on the equality of all religions, communities and castes,” Mayawati said.
The BSP has no representation in the state assembly right now – its lone legislator Manjeet Singh from Vijaypur constituency in Jammu region has joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The rally was one of the largest in Jammu. It comes ahead of the fifth round of polling in the state on Dec 13. The seven phased election gets over on Dec 24.