Mayawati playing opportunistic politics: Paswan

Jaipur, July 16(UNI) Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party President Ramvilas Paswan today charged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati with departing from the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP)'s Dalit plank for advancing her ''opportunitistic'' politics.

Talking to reporters here today, Mr Paswan said that Ms Mayawati's so called ''social engineering'' -- combining Dalits and higher castes -- was nothing but an ''opportunistic gimmick for grabbing power.'' He said that BSP's founder, late Kanshi Ram and Ms Mayawati had always practised ''anti-Manuvadi'' politics but only for grabbing power. ''Mayawati has now taken a ''U'' turn from Kanshi Ram's path and gone into ''Brahmin Bania fold,'' he quipped.

Mr Paswan said that Ms Mayawati's approach was neither based on ideology nor it had electorate's endorsement. In fact, it was anti incumbency feeling against then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav which enabled BSP to regain power in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Pswan claimed.

Earlier, during his chat with media persons in Ajmer, Mr Paswan alleged that all party consensus could not be achieved in presidential election due to BJP's hasty move of declaring Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as an NDA-supported Independent candidate.

He also regretted BJP's ''shallow approach'' in campaigning in presidential poll and said that by indulging into personal allegations, the saffron party had violated the decorum of the presidential election.

He said that result in the presidential poll is a foregone conclusion and UPA nominee abd former Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil will win impressively.

UNI