Jhansi schools shutdown for Mayawati's BSP rally

Jhansi, Jan 29: A majority of schools in Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh, have been closed to allow Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to address a rally of her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers.

Named the 'Haqueqat Rally', Mayawati is likely to target Congress General Secretary and MP, Rahul Gandhi, for his call to bifurcate Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati is likely to list a series of relief measures that have been initiated by her government since she came to power in May 2002. She is also expected to announce relief for the drought-hit people of the region.

Rahul had come down heavily on the Mayawati Government for the existing "state of collapse in the Bundelkhand region" of the state. The backbone is broken. It is a state of collapse and the people are forced to migrate," he said after visiting Mahoba, Banda, Jalon, Hamirpur and Ullan, where he talked to the families of the farmers who committed suicide suffering due to indebtness and agrarian crisis.

Rahul had also pointed out that central schemes, specially the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) not been implemented by the Uttar Pradesh Government.

"There is a drought and there are people in debt, as the farms are not producing anything," claimed Rahul, adding, "There is no delivery on the ground, it is not only the question of money coming."

Bundelkhand is emerging as a prospective political battleground, as there has been a suggestion to make it a separate state.

The region is regarded as a BSP stronghold after it bagged 14 of the 21 seats in the May 2007 assembly election. The Congress won three seats, while four went to the Samajwadi Party.

ANI