After 15 years, BSP picks a Dalit as its floor leader in Lok Sabha

The party had drawn a blank in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. In 2009, Dara Singh Chauhan — an OBC — was BSP leader in the Lok Sabha and in 2004, another OBC leader, Rajesh Verma, was the party’s leader in the House. Both Verma and Chauhan are now in the BJP. While Chauhan is a minister in the UP cabinet, Verma is MP from Sitapur.

Mayawati has called a meeting of the party organisation — its first after the Lok Sabha poll results — on June 3 in Delhi where all the newly-elected MPs, national office-bearers, zonal coordinators and districts presidents of UP have been invited and a review of the poll performance is also likely to be done.

Sources said Mayawati had already held a meeting of the newly-elected MPs in Delhi and they were urged to strongly raise the issues of Dalits and backward classes in the House in the upcoming sessions. Sources said Mayawati has not given any specific directives about coordination with SP in Parliament yet.

The SP, which contested on 37 seats and won just five seats, is yet to decide its floor leader in the Lok Sabha. Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said decisions on party leaders and other posts would be taken after the newly-elected MPs take oath. “But our coordination with the BSP in the Parliament will be maintained, being alliance partners,” Chaudhary said.

Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh will make his first public appearance after the poll results in his constituency Azamgarh where he will address an “aabhaar sabha” on June 3.