Mayawati may hold a public rally for defence in UP

Lucknow, Jul 13 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is expected to defend herself in public by holding a massive rally soon amid a political U-turn over the main opposition Samajwadi Party's (SP) support to the UPA government and CBI's charges of holding disproportionate assets.

Though the date of the public rally in the state capital was yet to be finalised, party sources hinted that the rally can take place later this month or anytime in August. Though there is no confirmation about the date of the rally, some senior BSP leaders have started preliminary preparation for the rally to be held at Ramdevi maidan on the outskirt of the state capital.

Left, which has become a new friend of the BSP, could also come out in open to support Ms Mayawati and participate in the proposed rally. Both the BSP and the Left were against the Nuclear deal and consider it ''anti-national''and have jointly opposed the CBI action against the BSP supremo.

Ms Mayawati, who is nowadays facing fresh CBI allegations over her disproportionate assets, might also vent out her anger with explanations into the matter in the rally. The CM would also rake up the alleged conspiracy by the Congress-SP combine. The SP and the BSP have already launched a scathing attack on each other for misuse of official machinery.

''BSP always goes for such rally to apprise the people of the conspiracy in the past and such gathering is also expected very soon in the present political situation,'' sources in the party said.

Earlier in July 2003, Ms Mayawati went for a rally in the state capital just before she resigned from the chief ministership of a BSP-BJP government over the Taj Heritage Corridor (THC) case.

The CM had addressed the last maharally in the state capital on October 9 last year, on the first death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram at the Ramdevi maidan. This was the only major political rally by the BSP in the 14-month- old government for the fourth time in the state where Ms Mayawati had attacked the Congress, BJP and the SP over different political issues.

UNI MB JAS RP HT1555