Not pro-Dalit, BSP open to upper castes: Maya

Mayawati today threw open the Bahujan Samaj Party8217;s BSP doors to Brahmins and other upper castes, promising Cabinet berths to all tho...

Mayawati today threw open the Bahujan Samaj Party8217;s BSP doors to Brahmins and other upper castes, promising Cabinet berths to all those who win elections. Dismissing the party8217;s 8216;8216;pro-Dalit8217;8217; image as a canard spread by the Opposition, the BSP chief extended an open offer of tickets to the upper castes in the Assembly and parliamentary elections.

8216;8216;The votebanks of the Congress and the BJP have been shattered and only the BSP can outseat the Mulayam government in Uttar Pradesh,8217;8217; Mayawati told the Brahmin convention at Ambedkar Maidan this afternoon. 8216;8216;All those from upper castes coming to the party8217;s fold and winning their seats will be made ministers once the BSP gets an absolute majority.8217;8217;

The mercury touched 45 degrees Celsius today but crowds, in vermillion and ramnami dupattas, continued to flock to the convention. 8216;8216;Haathi nahi Ganesh hain, Brahma Vishnu Mahesh hain It8217;s not elephant BSP symbol but a combination of Hindu Gods8217;8217;, went the slogan as the BSP chief, for the first time, addressed a Brahmin Sammelan.

8216;8216;Jiski jitni tayyari, uski utni bhagidari those who are prepared will get a share,8217;8217; Mayawati said, stressing that the BSP was open to not only Brahmins but all upper castes. 8216;8216;Kewal Brahman nahin, balki Vaishya, Kshatriya, Tyagi aur Kayasth, sabhi ka party mein swagat hai The party is ready to welcome not only Brahmins but other upper castes,8217;8217; she said while crowd responded with 8216;8216;Brahman ki yahi pukar, Mayawati chauthi baar8217;8217;.

8216;8216;The opposition has painted the BSP with a pro-Dalit image while the fact is just the opposite,8217;8217; the former CM charged. 8216;8216;The BSP was never against the upper castes and also Hinduism. The opposition has spread this canard to get political mileage but not any more.8217;8217;

Mayawati also dealt a threat to CM Mulayam Singh Yadav. 8216;8216;Shri Mulayam Singh Yadavji, let Assembly polls come and I will reduce your party to the status of 1991 when the Samajwadi Party got only 30 seats out of the total 425 that time before creation of Uttaranchal,8217;8217; she said.