To boost the sagging morale of her party workers in Uttarakhand the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati would address two rallies at Roorkee and Udham Singh Nagar on May 2.
The party which received a setback in the State by migration of large number of party workers and leaders owing affiliation to Social Welfare Minister Surendra Rakesh and leader of BSP legislators in Assembly Haridas is expected to get a major shot in arm by Mayawati's visit.
Taking some time out of her hectic election campaign in the all important State of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati would address rallies at Roorkee and US Nagar at 10 am and 12 noon respectively on May 2. The selection of locations for rallies of BSP supremo is aimed strategically to woo the Dalit and Muslim voters in the Haridwar and Nainital lok Sabha constituencies. Both Roorkee which falls in the Haridwar constituency and US Nagar which is a part of Nainital lok Sabha area has sizeable population of Dalit community which forms the core of Mayawati's brand of politics.
BSP played the Muslim card in Uttarakhand and fielded Hazi Mohammad Islam from Haridwar and laique Ahmed from Nainital lok Sabha. There are about 4 lakh Muslim voters in Haridwar while Nainital has about 3.50 lakh voters of Muslim community. The Dalit voters are also in substantial numbers in both these constituencies Haridwar has about 3.50 lakh dalit voters while Nainital has 3.0 lakh dalit voters.
BSP's efforts to do well in State, however, got a severe setback by revolt of Surendra Rakesh and Haridas. The party has three MlA's in the present assembly and all three are from Haridwar. The defection of supporters of these two leaders is expected to benefit the Congress candidate Renuka Rawat who is wife of state Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
The State In charge of BSP Nathu Singh told The Pioneer that Mayawati's visit would galvanize the party workers. He claimed that the party is on a strong footing in Nainital and Haridwar. Singh said that recent statement of Yog Guru Ramdev about Dalits was most unfortunate and derogatory. He claimed that the Ramdev's statement has infuriated the Dalit community and they are now unitedly rallying behind BSP and its leader Mayawati. Singh stated that Congress leaders are creating a fear in the minds of Muslims and projecting them as saviors of the community but the Muslims have realized the folly of Congress. He said that Muslims have understood that BSP has given proper representation to them and the fact that it has given two tickets to Muslims out of five lok Sabha constituencies in Uttarakhand underlies this faith of the party.
The proposed rallies of Mayawati at Roorkee and US Nagar has already scored a political point when a wary State Unit of Congress party postponed the election meeting of party president Sonia Gandhi at Haridwar. Sonia was expected to address at Haridwar on May 2, but Mayawati's rally on the day forced the party to shift it to May 4 now.
