BSP leaders flout panchayat poll diktat,Maya unhappy

As the election process got underway,many BSP leaders could not resist the temptation and plunged into the process. They fielded family members and joined the campaigning. The extent to which the chief minister’s instructions were violated by partymen during the polls is unprecedented.

A party leader said Mayawati wanted to discourage the partymen from getting involved in local-level politics,thinking that it will hamper the BSP’s growth. Apparently,she had no idea that so many of her ministers,MPs and MLAs would push their relatives in the field. Although these leaders have reasons for their action,party sources said Mayawati has not liked senior party leaders’ involvement in the elections and is planning to call a meeting to discuss the matter.

Among others,Forest Minister Fateh Bahdur Singh’s wife Sadhana Singh emerged victorious in district panchayat polls in Gorakhpur and there were allegations that the minister misused the official machinery to help his wife. Besides,state BSP president and Panchayat Minister Swami Prasad Maurya’s nephew Pramod Maurya won in Pratapgarh district. “Pramod is a BSP worker for long. He was also vice-president of the BSP’s district unit. The party workers had supported him in the election,” said district BSP president Ashwini Kumar Rana. He denied the charge that the minister had campaigned in favour of Pramod.

In Ambedkar Nagar,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lalji Verma’s wife Shobhawati Verma contested and won the election of district panchayat member. There are allegations that Verma camped in the constituency and helped his wife. The complaints related to misuse of the official machinery by the minister were sent to the State Election Commission. However,the BSP’s Ambedkar Nagar president Ram Kumar Gautam denied the allegation that the minister was involved in the campaign.

Vocational Education Minister Laxmi Narain Choudhari’s wife Mamta contested from Mathura. Choudhari admitted that he campaigned for his wife because “she was the lone candidate supported by the party workers in her area”.

Minister of State for Silk Sangram Singh, while justifying his campaigning for his brother Surendra Singh and his wife Sheela in Barabanki district,said,“They enjoyed people’s support and they won. I spared not more than two to three hours in the area to seek vote in their favour.” Rajya Sabha member Naresh Agrawal campaigned for his borther Mukesh Agrawal’s wife

Kamini who won on two seats of district panchayat in Hardoi. “She was the only candidate supported by BSP workers in both areas,” Agrawal said,adding that she would resign from one seat and his brother would contest from there.