Chief Minister Mayawati accused Neeraj Shekhar — son of ex-Prime Minister Chandrashekhar and the Samajwadi Party candidate for the December 29 Ballia bypoll—of betraying his father by joining Mulayam Singh Yadav’s party.

“He has betrayed Chandrashekharji by joining the SP instead of contesting the election on a Samajwadi Janta Party (SJP) ticket,” the BSP chief told an election rally at Police Parade Ground on Wednesday.

Almost 24 hours before the campaigning ends for electing the successor to Chandrashekhar, who died earlier this year after representing Ballia in Lok Sabha seven times, Mayawati said, “Chandrashekharji was a venerable person who did Ballia proud internationally... Jo apne baap ka nahi hua woh Ballia ka kya hoga (a man who could not live up to the ideals of his father cannot be expected to further the cause of Ballia). She added, “If Chandrashekharji’s son had opted to contest on an SJP ticket, the BSP would have supported him.”

Countering the ‘stranger card’ being used by the SP against Vinay Shankar Tiwari, the BSP candidate and son of ex-UP minister Harishankar Tiwar—who hails from Gorakhpur district— she said, “Vinay is no stranger. He belongs to the neighbouring district. But what about the SP candidate, who stays in Delhi and not in Ballia? The outsider is the SP candidate and not Vinay Shankar Tiwari.”

The praise showered on Chandrashekhar was a fresh approach for the BSP, which had been vehemently flaying the late leader for not working for Ballia’s development. It indicated BSP’s attempt to win over floating voters of Bhumihar caste and Muslims.

... contd.