Mayawati promises reservations for upper caste in MP

Bhopal, Nov 18 (UNI) Alleging that the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power with the help of capitalists, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Supremo Mayawati today claimed that her party had come to power in Uttar Pradesh riding on the people's power and urged people of Madhya Pradesh to replicate the feat.

Ms Mayawati, while addressing an election rally here, said the poor had not been uplifted despite sixty years of Independence, as both the Congress and the BJP worked for capitalists.

''However, Uttar Pradesh has set an example by voting the BSP to power instead of the BJP, the Congress and their allies. People of Madhya Pradesh should follow suit to bring about development of poor from both backward and upper classes,'' she said.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said the BSP would bring about an amendment in the Constitution to provide reservation to the poor belonging to upper class if it came to power at the Centre.

Claiming that the BSP practices what it preaches, Ms Mayawati said the party had introduced social engineering in Uttar Pradesh for all-round development of the poor in the state. The party was intended to do the same thing in Madhya Pradesh if it came to power.

She alleged that main parties like the BJP, Congress and its allies were luring the voters with the help of money, Ms Mayawati cautioned that BSP supporters should not fall in the trap of such parties.

Ms Mayawati said the BSP was contesting from almost all the seats in Madhya Pradesh and claimed that the party had distributed tickets to candidates from the upper class also.

The BSP Supremo alleged that other parties had stopped party candidates from coming to attend the election rally in Bhopal.

UNI BDG PS PK HT1715