Urban local body polls: Quota rules bypassed to help BJP, says Mayawati

“People belonging to the SC, ST, OBCs and also women are not completely satisfied with the quota arrangements made for them in the urban local body polls because the rules have been bypassed in reserving seats for these sections. This proves that the ruling BJP is trying to target its own political interests at every level so that it gets an advantage in the next General Elections,” Mayawati said at a press briefing here.

Stating that BSP would contest the urban local body polls “with full vigour”, Mayawati said there was a need for honest, aware, and qualified representatives in the local bodies. She appealed to all the communities and sections, especially Dalits, OBCs, and the poor to play their role in the urban local body polls and urged voters to back the BSP.

The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday announced a two-phase Urban Local Body elections – on May 4 and 11 — to elect representatives for 14,864 posts across 760 local bodies in the state. The counting will be held on May 13.

The SEC had said the voting for mayors and 1,420 municipal corporators (Nagar Nigam) would take place through EVMs, while the polling for the rest of the posts of Nagar Palika Parishad and Nagar Panchayats would happen through ballot papers.

Notably, 760 local bodies — comprising 17 Municipal Corporations, 199 Nagar Palika Parishad and 544 Nagar Panchayats — will have 17 posts of mayors, 199 posts of Nagar Palika Parishad chairpersons and 544 Nagar Panchayat chairpersons.

Mayawati, meanwhile, termed the BJP’s outreach programme for Pasmanda Muslims a “trivial lie” (shagufa). “In reality, the Muslim community is first a Muslim. The BJP’s intentions, policy, thoughts and past track record show how vindictive and dangerous it is for them and it is not hidden,” Mayawati said.

“The result of this negative thinking of the BJP for the Muslim community is that they are still poor, backward, and feel insecure for their life and religion as they were during the Congress rule. It is unfortunate and very sad that Muslim community is still Pasmanda and deprived like Dalits and most backward community,” she added.

Mayawati further said that because of the “wrong and anti-people” policies of the BJP and past governments of the Samajwadi Party and Congress, the entire UP has become a “backward Pasmanda community” due to poverty, unemployment and poor condition of education, health facilities and roads.