Chandrashekhar146;s son 145;betrayed him146;: Maya

Almost 24 hours before the campaigning ends for electing the successor to Chandrashekhar, who died earlier this year after representing Ballia in Lok Sabha seven times, Mayawati said, 8220;Chandrashekharji was a venerable person who did Ballia proud internationally8230; Jo apne baap ka nahi hua woh Ballia ka kya hoga a man who could not live up to the ideals of his father cannot be expected to further the cause of Ballia. She added, 8220;If Chandrashekharji8217;s son had opted to contest on an SJP ticket, the BSP would have supported him.8221;

Countering the 8216;stranger card8217; being used by the SP against Vinay Shankar Tiwari, the BSP candidate and son of ex-UP minister Harishankar Tiwar8212;who hails from Gorakhpur district8212; she said, 8220;Vinay is no stranger. He belongs to the neighbouring district. But what about the SP candidate, who stays in Delhi and not in Ballia? The outsider is the SP candidate and not Vinay Shankar Tiwari.8221;

The praise showered on Chandrashekhar was a fresh approach for the BSP, which had been vehemently flaying the late leader for not working for Ballia8217;s development. It indicated BSP8217;s attempt to win over floating voters of Bhumihar caste and Muslims.

Wooing the voters, she enlisted the achievements of her Government on the development and law and order fronts. She said the Greater Noida-Ballia Ganga Expressway Project would usher much-needed development in Ballia. She advocated 10 per cent reservation for the poor among the upper castes in the private sector. 8220;I have also sent a proposal to the Centre in this regard, but the Centre is still to respond. But I will go ahead with it in UP,8221; she said.

Blaming the Centre for failing to curb terrorism, she said it was 8220;solely responsible8221; for not keeping the national borders secure. 8220;It8217;s the Centre and not UP which is responsible for growing terror strikes, including the November 23 blasts.