Mayawati sounds poll bugle, highlights 'jungle raj', false promises to woo voters

LUCKNOW: With just few months left for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday questioned the false claims made by the Samajwadi Party and BJP while categorically stating that the root problem in the state is the return of 'jungle raj' and false promises for electoral gains. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister in her endeavor to connect with the masses prior to the polls highlighted what she alleged "false" promises made by the BJP in the run up to the 2014 general election and urged the people to be aware of the bogus claims. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, the BSP supremo said Narendra Modi comes in the state and makes tall claims of development and eradicating poverty, but he should throw light on the developments he did while the BJP was in power in the state for six years. "The 22 crore people of Uttar Pradesh now seek an explanation from the BJP leadership on the intriguing promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls of bringing development and eradicating poverty," she added. Mayawati also questioned the Prime Minister on the promise of bringing back black money stashed in safe havens abroad. "The BSP along with the people of Uttar Pradesh want to know from the BJP central leadership as to why not even a single rupee of black money has been distributed as promised among the people till date as they have completed more than two years in office," she added. Pointing out that there is fury and outrage among the people of Uttar Pradesh towards the BJP leadership, Mayawati said the saffron party has miserably failed in fulfilling the promises made to them. Continuing her tirade against the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state, Mayawati said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's decision to revoke ties with mafia don Mukhtar Ansari's Quami Ekta Dal was nothing, but a big drama. "The Samajwadi Party might have ended its merger with Mukhtar Ansaris Quami Ekta Dal, but they have politically benefitted from this drama for the upcoming polls," she said. The BSP chief further said the Samajwadi Party Government should first remove the tainted ministers with criminal background if it is indeed serious about curbing crime and maintaining the law and order situation in the state. "If the Samajwadi Party is serious about curbing crime and maintaining law and order in the state, first of all they should remove the tainted ministers from their Cabinet and also remove all the leaders having criminal background from the party," Mayawati told the media here. "The root of the problem here is deteriorating law and order situation and 'jungle' raj under the rule of the Samajwadi Party Government in the last four and a half years," she added. Mayawati's outburst against the Samajwadi Party came a day after the Chief Minister undertook the seventh and in all probability the last Cabinet expansion of his government before heading for polls next year. Balram Yadav, who was sacked by Akhilesh Yadav for mediating the merger of Quami Ekta Dal into the Samajwadi Party, was among those sworn-in yesterday at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan. Narad Rai, Ravidas Mehrotra and Sharda Pratap Shukla were also sworn-in as ministers. Mohd Ziauddin was also announced as a minister, but could not be sworn-in as he was abroad undertaking Umrah.