Sidelined, BSP leader says Maya selling party tickets

“Everyone knows that she takes money for tickets. Is it hidden from anyone? I was removed from all the posts. I have been sidelined for no reason,” he told The Indian Express over the phone.

Demanding a CBI probe into the alleged trading of seats by the BSP chief, he said even he was asked to pay for a party ticket for his son.

“I was asked to pay Rs 50 lakh for the party ticket for my son Saurabh Singh from Kasta Assembly seat. I raised my voice and was silenced immediately by being sidelined in the party, which I founded in 1984 along with Dalit messiah the late Kanshi Ram,” he alleged.

Kishore claimed that several MLAs and candidates had complained to him about the sale of party tickets.

Terming Mayawati as the wealthiest leader in the country, Kishore said, “Mayawati is no more a Dalit ki beti (Dalit’s daughter). She is daulat ki beti (daughter of wealth).”

He alleged large-scale irregularities in setting up of Bahujan Prerna Kendras in Lucknow, Noida and Delhi. Kishore claimed that these ‘kendras’ were set up with the hard-earned money of poor Dalits but were converted into trusts in which trustees were none other than Mayawati, her brother Anand and Satish Chandra Mishra.

Asked about his future course of action, he said he will “not do anything. She can take action against me”. Kishore’s tenure as Rajya Sabha member ends July 4, 2016.

The BSP did not respond to the allegations. When contacted, party general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya declined to comment saying only Mayawati or the BSP state headquarters will respond.