UP polls 2022: BSP promises overall development if voted to power

Mayawati-led party released an account of its achievements and promised to work for the state's all-round development with an "iron will" if it is voted to power in 2022

Claiming that the rule of law was first established in Uttar Pradesh under the BSP regime, the Mayawati-led party on Wednesday released an account of its achievements and promised to work for the state's all-round development with an "iron will" if it is voted to power in 2022.

The Bahujan Samaj Party claimed that it ended communal and casteist violence in the state and in a first, constructed grand memorials and parks to honour great men and gurus from Dalit and other backward communities like B R Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram.

Targeting the ruling BJP and the Samajwadi Party, the BSP said they have proved to be a "failure". Uttar Pradesh once again needs a BSP government.

The BSP ruled Uttar Pradesh from 2007-12. Prior to this, Mayawati headed coalition governments with the SP and the BJP thrice.

In case the BSP forms the government in Uttar Pradesh after the assembly polls, "efforts will be made to change the picture of Uttar Pradesh on the basis of development work at all levels", the party's "folder" of achievements stated.

"Under the government of iron lady Mayawati, the rule of law was established for the first time (in Uttar Pradesh), guaranteeing the security of life, property and faith to people belonging to all sections of society and communities. It also ended the phase of criminalisation of politics and politicisation of crime," it said.

The document also credited the erstwhile BSP governments with freeing the state of communal and casteist violence, riots and fear.

BSP president Mayawati had on Monday said unlike other political parties, her party does not release an election manifesto as it believes more in "doing work than making tall claims".

Mayawati said the BSP has prepared a "folder" to remind the people of the state about the work done by the party and assure them that it will continue to work the same way as before if it is voted to power again.

The document released on Wednesday mentioned how the BSP government got a party MP arrested in 2007 from the then chief minister Mayawati's residence, an apparent reference to party leader Uma Kant Yadav.

Yadav was arrested on charges of razing some shops and houses while trying to forcibly occupy a piece of land in a village in Azamgarh district. He was arrested after he came out of the chief minister's official residence at Kalidas Marg here.

Several policy decisions were taken for safeguarding the interests of the poor, labourers, advocates, employees and traders, besides ensuring the betterment of sugarcane growers and that farmers, who are the country's backbone, get the right price of their produce, the document stated.

"(The BSP) removed the ban on recruitment of general category candidates for government jobs, reservation in allotment of government contracts up to Rs 25 lakh to SCs and STs," it said.

The document said the BSP-led governments started schemes under the names of prominent personalities like Savitri Bai Phule, Mahamanya and Kanshi Ram.

The development of the new Kushinagar airport, work on which was initiated during the BSP government's tenure, is also part of this, it claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the international airport at Kushinagar last month.

The document listed the setting up of the Anti-Terrorist Squad to fight terrorism and the construction of Formula One racing track at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida as the BSP's achievements.

New medical colleges were set up in Kannauj, Azamgarh, Banda, Saharanpur and Jalaun. Seats in MBBS and PG courses in government medical colleges of Agra, Kanpur, Meerut and KGMC, Lucknow were increased and an international Ramlila centre was set up in Ayodhya by the BSP governments, it said.

The BSP governments treated people's welfare as 'raj dharma' but the SP and the BJP could not keep up the momentum, the document said.

"They have proved to be a failure and so Uttar Pradesh once again strongly needs a BSP government which works with an iron will," it said.

The elections for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly will be held early next year.