Mayawati aspires to become PM

Lucknow, Aug 9: Stating to the partymen aloud and clear about her aspiration to become Prime Minister, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party President Mayawati on Saturday, Aug 9 apprehended that she might be killed by her political opponents to prevent her from realising the ambition.

''Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and 'company' cannot see a Dalit woman as Prime Minister of the country hence there is danger to my life,'' she said while addressing a rally on the occasion of National Convention of BSP on Saturday, Aug 9 afternoon.

The BSP supremo apprehended threat to her life and exhorted partymen to be prepared for any eventuality and not lose heart in party's quest to grab power at the Centre.

Ms Mayawati chose the occasion to announce that she had already decided upon her successor in the party. ''My successor is 18-20 years younger to me, not from my family and whose name has been given to two of my close confidants who would declare it at the appropriate time,''she said.

The UP CM went on to urge her partymen not to be disheartened if she was sent to jail by the Congress party in Disproportionate Assets(DA) case before or after the Lok Sabha polls which were round the corner.

She drew a loud round of applause from the crowd when she said that if she could become Chief Minister of the largest state for four times and achieve full majority of her party in UP, why could she not become the PM.

Virtually launching the election campaign for the coming Lok Sabha polls, she said her party had already announced candidates on all 80 parliamentary seats in the state. She made announcement of fielding Shahid Siddiqui, the Rajya Sabha member who recently left the Samajwadi Party, as the BSP candidate from Bijnore Lok Sabha seat.

The BSP leader also announced the joining of former Congress leader Natwar Singh into her party fold.

Attacking Congress, BJP and SP, Ms Mayawati said these parties had ganged up against BSP in view of the possibility of her becoming the PM. ''The true mentality of these parties came to the fore during imbroglio on trust vote in Parliament on June 21 when these parties looked upset over my candidature for the post of Prime Minister,''she said.

She said the Congress and BJP both were parties with 'manuvadi' ideology and could never digest the fact that a Dalit woman became the Prime Minister. ''This was disgusting and sad part of the politics these parties followed,'' she said while calling upon her cadre to make even harder efforts to place her on the top seat of the country.

''I am proud of having born in a Dalit family and my followers also revere this fact,'' Ms Mayawati said.

The BSP leader was particularly severe on Railway Minister and RJD President Lalau Prasad Yadav for opposing her candidature for PM and had said that if Mayawati became Prime Minister, it would amount to pollution. ''Mr Yadav should exercise restraint while speaking about some Dalit and more so because he himself comes from the backward class,'' she said.

Ms Mayawati said these stumbling blocks would not deter her to dilute BSP's aspirations to see their leader as the Prime Minister of the country one day. ''....the day is not far way when I become the PM,'' an elated Mayawati said.

Smelling another conspiracy against her, she said that the UPA government at the Centre might ''use CBI against me in DA case to send me to jail before the Lok Sabha polls and coming Assembly polls in five states. They just cannot see fledgeling graph of BSP and I have become an eyesore for them hence targeted,'' she alleged.

It was at the behest of Congress-led UPA that the CBI had raided the ''house of my old parents but did not find anything,'' she said adding '' My partymen are well aware that the money I had with me was gift from the party's sympathisers and was used in the welfare of Bahujan Samaj.'' The BSP leader said the march of the party would not be stopped come what may. ''No political party in the country can impede the growth of BSP which has already occupied the top slot in the country's politics,''she claimed.

Ridiculing Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's much-publicised speech during the debate on trust vote in Parliament on July 22 mentioning one Dalit Kalawati's woes, she termed it as 'romantic narration' but meaningless. Congress had done nothing for the cause of Dalits and scion of Gandhi family was feigning ignorance of the inaction of the Congress on that count, she said.

Earlier, it was late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who used to do a lot of drama on dalit welfare and taking cue from her Rajiv Gandhi indulged himself in political rhetoric and after that his son Rahul Gandhi was doing the same thing, she claimed. ''Staging road shows and staying overnight in a Dalit home would not do good to Dalits,'' she said while commenting on the poll campaign style of Rahul Gandhi.

Reiterating her party and government's demand of a Rs 80,000 crore package for uplifting the downtrodden class of the society, the UP CM said it was denied by the same Congress government at the Centre which always gave lofty assurances about Dalit welfare.

Making a strong case against the Nuclear Deal, the BSP leader said it would not help the energy scenario in the country and the deal was like mortgaging the sovereignity of India. ''BSP will continue to oppose the deal in whatever way it is possible,'' she said.

On Amarnath Shrine Board row, Ms Mayawati said it was the Congress which fomented the trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. ''It is taken up by the Congress in the same manner as was done in the Ayodhya matter when the Babri mosque was demolished right under the nose of Congress,''she charged.

The BSP supremo announced a three-phase countrywide party agitation named as 'Janhit andolan(people's welfare agitation) starting September one . In the first phase from September one to 30, the district level agitation would be organised against price rise and other anti-people policies of the UPA followed by agitation in assembly constituencies from October one to 31 while in the last phase from November one to December 31 it would be further intensified keeping coming polls in view, she declared.

The party convention was also addressed by BSP General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra and was attended by all the ministers and officer bearers of the party.

UNI