BSP to go alone in UP Assembly polls -- Mayawati

BSP to go alone in UP Assembly polls -- Mayawati
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, MARCH 3: Buoyed by the results of by-elections in UP, BSP leader Mayawati today claimed her party was well on its way to forming the next government in the state. ``We'll go it alone for the Assembly elections whenever they're held,'' she told mediapersons this afternoon adding: ``We'll get an absolute majority on our own.''

The BSP's vote-share in the by-elections for three constituencies -- Siwalkhas in Meerut, Sarsawan in Saharanpur and Bhartana in Etawah -- was 33.6 per cent. ``We'll improve upon this in the Assembly elections,'' she claimed.

She predicted that the state was heading for snap polls. ``Elections could be held by April or May this year,'' she said.

Mayawati reiterated her demand for reservation in jobs for SCs/STs in the private sector. ``We're not against disinvestment. But there should be transparency in any deal. Moreover, while handing over a public sector enterprise to a private party, the government keep the interests of SC/STs in mind,'' she said.

Unfortunately, the manner in which the units are being handed over to private enterpreneurs creates the suspicion that the government is anti-reservation. ``It was to draw the ruling coalition's attention towards this issue that we had to rush to the well before the voting on the BALCO discussion was taken up in the Lok Sabha on Thursday,'' she said.

She also lashed out the Congress and other Opposition parties for their anti-reservation attitude. ``None of these parties came to our aid in the House,'' she said.

The BSP leader also asked the Centre to raise the matter concerning the destruction of the statues of Lord Buddha by the Taliban in Afghanistan at international fora.