The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh.

Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack.

The police have detained five people for questioning. 

In the recent Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP.

Following which Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him after allegations of cross-voting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BSP MLA Anil Singh&#39s brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot</p>&mdash ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/977964083562647552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh`s Unnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack

The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh. Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack. The police have detained five people for questioning. In the recent Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP. Following which Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him after allegations of cross-voting. BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot &mdash ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2018

Suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother attacked, 5 detained

<p>The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajya-sabha-polls-in-major-setback-to-mayawati-bsp-mla-votes-for-bjp-36829" target="_blank">BSP MLA Anil Singh'</a>s brother Dilip Singh.</p>

<p>Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's&nbspUnnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack.</p>

<p>The police have detained five people for questioning.&nbsp</p>

<p>In the recent Rajya Sabha&nbsppolls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP.</p>

<p>Following which&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mayawati-suspends-anil-singh-over-rajya-sabha-cross-voting-36939" target="_blank">Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him&nbsp</a>after allegations of cross-voting.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot</p>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/977964083562647552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh. Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's&nbspUnnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack. The police have detained five people for questioning. In the recent Rajya Sabha&nbsppolls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP. Following which Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him after allegations of cross-voting. BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2018 ×

<p>An MLA from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.</p>

<p>A day before the election, Singh&nbsp;met with the state chief minister Yogi Adityanath.</p>

<p>Singh said that he voted to the BJP on &quot; antaratma ki awaaz&quot;. He said, &quot;My inside asked me to vote for the BJP&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I have voted for BJP, I don&#39;t know about the rest: Anil Singh, BSP MLA <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RajyaSabhaElections?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RajyaSabhaElections</a> <a href="https://t.co/28R7njmfnP">pic.twitter.com/28R7njmfnP</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/977047651286908928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Anil Singh is the BSP MLA from Purwa in Unnao, UP.</p>

<p>Reports also said that another MLA, Nitin Agarwal, from the Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Hardoi, also voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His father Naresh Agarwal had already joined the BJP earlier this month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sp-leader-naresh-agrawal-joins-bjp-mocks-jaya-bachchan-35532" target="_blank">SP leader Naresh Agrawal joins BJP, mocks Jaya Bachchan</a></p>


An MLA from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh on Friday

An MLA from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. A day before the election, Singh met with the state chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Singh said that he voted to the BJP on " antaratma ki awaaz". He said, "My inside asked me to vote for the BJP". I have voted for BJP, I don't know about the rest: Anil Singh, BSP MLA #RajyaSabhaElections pic.twitter.com/28R7njmfnP — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 23, 2018 × Anil Singh is the BSP MLA from Purwa in Unnao, UP. Reports also said that another MLA, Nitin Agarwal, from the Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Hardoi, also voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates. His father Naresh Agarwal had already joined the BJP earlier this month. Also read: SP leader Naresh Agrawal joins BJP, mocks Jaya Bachchan

Rajya Sabha polls: Setback to Mayawati, BSP MLA votes for BJP

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/npps-conrad-sangma-to-be-next-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-says-bjp-34635">NPP&#39;s Conrad Sangma to be next chief minister of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/npps-conrad-sangma-to-be-next-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-says-bjp-34635">Meghalaya,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/npps-conrad-sangma-to-be-next-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-says-bjp-34635"> says BJP</a></p>

<p>National People&#39;s Party&#39;s (NPP) Conrad Sangma Sunday met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bsp-sp-alliance-rumours-for-2019-lok-sabha-elections-false-mayawati-34623">BSP-SP alliance rumours for 2019 Lok Sabha elections false: Mayawati</a></p>

<p>Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Sunday denied all the rumours floating around that the party will join hands with rival Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fiorentina-captain-astori-dies-suddenly-club-says-34631">Fiorentina captain Astori dies suddenly, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fiorentina-captain-astori-dies-suddenly-club-says-34631">club</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fiorentina-captain-astori-dies-suddenly-club-says-34631"> says</a></p>

<p>Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori died of a sudden illness on Sunday morning, the Serie A club said on Twitter.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/removal-of-two-term-limit-for-xi-jinping-important-to-uphold-cpc-unity-china-34624">Removal of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/removal-of-two-term-limit-for-xi-jinping-important-to-uphold-cpc-unity-china-34624">two-term</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/removal-of-two-term-limit-for-xi-jinping-important-to-uphold-cpc-unity-china-34624"> limit for Xi Jinping important to uphold CPC unity: China&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>China today defended its move to remove the two-term limit for President Xi Jinping, saying it is important to uphold the authority of the ruling Communist Party and unity of the state leadership.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/once-a-bonded-labourer-krishna-kumari-kolhi-is-now-pakistans-first-dalit-hindu-woman-senator-34616">Once a bonded labourer, Krishna Kumari Kolhi is now Pakistan&#39;s first Dalit Hindu woman senator</a></p>

<p>Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan&#39;s Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, the Pakistan People&#39;s Party has said.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


NPP's Conrad Sangma to be next chief minister of Meghalaya, says BJP National People's Party's (NPP) Conrad Sangma Sunday met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state. BSP-SP alliance rumours for 2019 Lok Sabha elections false: Mayawati Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Sunday denied all the rumours floating around that the party will join hands with rival Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Fiorentina captain Astori dies suddenly, club says Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori died of a sudden illness on Sunday morning, the Serie A club said on Twitter. Removal of two-term limit for Xi Jinping important to uphold CPC unity: China China today defended its move to remove the two-term limit for President Xi Jinping, saying it is important to uphold the authority of the ruling Communist Party and unity of the state leadership. Once a bonded labourer, Krishna Kumari Kolhi is now Pakistan's first Dalit Hindu woman senator Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, the Pakistan People's Party has said.

WION Evening News Brief, March 4, 2018

<p>The two arch-rivals in the Uttar Pradesh politics, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party, have decided to come together to fight against the BJP in the upcoming by-polls.</p>

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<p>Polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies are scheduled to be held on March 11.</p>

<p>The seat in the two constituencies&nbsp;was vacated by Yogi Adityanath and his deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in 2017.</p>

<p>Upendra Dutt Shukla will contest for BJP from Gorakhpur, Kushalendra Singh Patel will be its candidate from Phulpur.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sunil Singh SP MLA said &quot;All I know is BSP does not contest by-elections. At both places where by-elections are being held, SP will give a strong fight to defeat the BJP&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The workers of the BSP want to eliminate BJP and that is why the members of Bahujan Samaj Party have decided to extend support and vote for Samajwadi Party candidate Nagendra&nbsp;Singh Patel in Phulpur by-poll,&quot; said Ashok Gautam, BSP Zonal Coordinator from Allahabad.</p>

<p>BSP in charge from Gorakhpur, Ghanshyam&nbsp;Chandra Kharwar, has declared his support to Samajwadi Party candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad in upcoming Gorakhpur by-poll.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All I know is BSP does not contest by-elections. At both places where by-elections are being held, SP will give a strong fight to defeat the BJP: Sunil Singh Yadav, SP on reports of BSP support to SP for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gorakhpur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gorakhpur</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Phulpur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Phulpur</a> by-elections <a href="https://t.co/jUWwmI7ija">pic.twitter.com/jUWwmI7ija</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/970160932834902017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Our workers want to eliminate BJP &amp; that is why the members of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have decided to extend support &amp; vote for Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Nagendra Singh Patel in Phulpur by-poll: Ashok Gautam, BSP Zonal Coordinator, Allahabad <a href="https://t.co/R2vRFY6Lx5">pic.twitter.com/R2vRFY6Lx5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/970213516819939328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) Gorakhpur in-charge Ghanshyam Chandra Kharwar declared support to Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad in upcoming Gorakhpur by-poll <a href="https://t.co/4f1YSou3ho">pic.twitter.com/4f1YSou3ho</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/970215837377249280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>While no clarification has come from the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, party spokesperson Pankhuri Pathak has tweeted that the two parties will fight the by-polls together.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BSP &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/samajwadiparty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@samajwadiparty</a> to fight by-polls together. It&rsquo;s official. Congrats to both parties &amp; all members . Time to score that win ????????✌????</p>
&mdash; Pankhuri Pathak (@pankhuripathak) <a href="https://twitter.com/pankhuripathak/status/970215547928547329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The SP and BSP had in the past fought together against the BJP in 1993 UP assembly elections.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">SP aur BSP, BJP ki aayi bhaadh ke kaaran ek hone ko majboor hui hain. Suna tha jab baadh aati hai, saanp aur nevla ek hi daal par baith jaate hain,dushmani chod dete hain. Jab pyaas lagti hai, sher aur bakri ek hi ghat par paani pee lete hain. Aisa hi ye gathbandhan hai: L Bajpai <a href="https://t.co/kOcR8f7J5B">pic.twitter.com/kOcR8f7J5B</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/970228859068071936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies are scheduled to be held on March 11. The seat in the two constituencies was vacated by Yogi Adityanath and his deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in 2017

The two arch-rivals in the Uttar Pradesh politics, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party, have decided to come together to fight against the BJP in the upcoming by-polls. × Polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies are scheduled to be held on March 11. The seat in the two constituencies was vacated by Yogi Adityanath and his deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in 2017. Upendra Dutt Shukla will contest for BJP from Gorakhpur, Kushalendra Singh Patel will be its candidate from Phulpur. Sunil Singh SP MLA said "All I know is BSP does not contest by-elections. At both places where by-elections are being held, SP will give a strong fight to defeat the BJP". "The workers of the BSP want to eliminate BJP and that is why the members of Bahujan Samaj Party have decided to extend support and vote for Samajwadi Party candidate Nagendra Singh Patel in Phulpur by-poll," said Ashok Gautam, BSP Zonal Coordinator from Allahabad. BSP in charge from Gorakhpur, Ghanshyam Chandra Kharwar, has declared his support to Samajwadi Party candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad in upcoming Gorakhpur by-poll. All I know is BSP does not contest by-elections. At both places where by-elections are being held, SP will give a strong fight to defeat the BJP: Sunil Singh Yadav, SP on reports of BSP support to SP for #Gorakhpur & #Phulpur by-elections pic.twitter.com/jUWwmI7ija — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018 × Our workers want to eliminate BJP & that is why the members of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have decided to extend support & vote for Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Nagendra Singh Patel in Phulpur by-poll: Ashok Gautam, BSP Zonal Coordinator, Allahabad pic.twitter.com/R2vRFY6Lx5 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018 × BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) Gorakhpur in-charge Ghanshyam Chandra Kharwar declared support to Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad in upcoming Gorakhpur by-poll pic.twitter.com/4f1YSou3ho — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018 × While no clarification has come from the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, party spokesperson Pankhuri Pathak has tweeted that the two parties will fight the by-polls together. BSP & @samajwadiparty to fight by-polls together. It’s official. Congrats to both parties & all members . Time to score that win ????????✌???? — Pankhuri Pathak (@pankhuripathak) March 4, 2018 × The SP and BSP had in the past fought together against the BJP in 1993 UP assembly elections. SP aur BSP, BJP ki aayi bhaadh ke kaaran ek hone ko majboor hui hain. Suna tha jab baadh aati hai, saanp aur nevla ek hi daal par baith jaate hain,dushmani chod dete hain. Jab pyaas lagti hai, sher aur bakri ek hi ghat par paani pee lete hain. Aisa hi ye gathbandhan hai: L Bajpai pic.twitter.com/kOcR8f7J5B — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018 ×

SP, BSP to collectively fight against BJP in UP bypolls

<p>The main accused in the killing of a Dalit student of Allahabad University has been arrested, police said today.</p>

<p>Vijay Shankar Singh was arrested from Sultanpur in the early hours today, Senior Superintendent of Police Akaash Kulhari said.</p>

<p>Dileep (26), a second year LLB student, was thrashed by a group on Friday following an altercation outside a restaurant. He succumbed to injuries two days later.</p>

<p>Four people have already been arrested in connection with the incident.</p>

<p>The Yogi Adityanath government came in for criticism from rival parties over the killing, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying it showed Uttar Pradesh was in the &quot;grip of criminal elements&quot;.</p>

<p>Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said the killing was the result of &quot;narrow and casteist politics of hatred&quot; being pursued by the ruling BJP.&nbsp;</p>


Vijay Shankar Singh was arrested from Sultanpur in the early hours today, Senior Superintendent of Police Akaash Kulhari said

The main accused in the killing of a Dalit student of Allahabad University has been arrested, police said today. Vijay Shankar Singh was arrested from Sultanpur in the early hours today, Senior Superintendent of Police Akaash Kulhari said. Dileep (26), a second year LLB student, was thrashed by a group on Friday following an altercation outside a restaurant. He succumbed to injuries two days later. Four people have already been arrested in connection with the incident. The Yogi Adityanath government came in for criticism from rival parties over the killing, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying it showed Uttar Pradesh was in the "grip of criminal elements". Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said the killing was the result of "narrow and casteist politics of hatred" being pursued by the ruling BJP.

Main accused in Dalit student's lynching arrested

<p>Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said on Sunday threatened that she would quit Hinduism and convert to Buddhism, along with her thousands of followers, if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party did not stop their &lsquo;atrocities&rsquo; on Dalits and backward castes and end the exploitation of these communities.</p>

<p>Addressing a BSP conclave, the BSP chief said, &ldquo;Dr. Ambedkar had made an announcement in 1935 that he was born a Hindu but he won&rsquo;t die a Hindu. He gave 21 years to Hindu religious leaders to reform. But when there was no change in their attitude, he converted to Buddhism in 1956 in Nagpur. We thought the contractors and custodians of the Hindu religion would change after his conversion and give respect to the Dalit and backward caste communities. But they continue to exploit the backward communities and the Dalits. Today, I want to warn the BJP and the RSS that if they don&rsquo;t change their disrespectful, casteist and communal behaviour towards the Dalits and backward caste people and their leaders, I will also convert to Buddhism with my crores of followers.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Ms. Mayawati said she wanted to give a chance to RSS-BJP to change their casteist and communal mindset towards Dalits, Adivasis, Backwards and also those who have changed their religion and then take a call on conversion to Buddhism &ldquo;at an appropriate time like Ambedkar.&rdquo;</p>

<p>She also told the BSP workers to be alert on the possibility of an early Lok Sabha election and asked them to start preparing for it.</p>

<p>&ldquo;There is a possibility that the BJP can start the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya just before Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>&ldquo;They can even sponsor some dramatic events in the name of patriotism to save their government and hide their failures. Be aware of such conspiracies.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The Electronic Voting Machines were tampered with in every election since 2014 to defeat the BSP,&rdquo; she alleged and dared the BJP to contest all upcoming elections on ballot paper.</p>

<p>The BSP supremo also claimed that the Mandal Commission report was implemented because of her party&rsquo;s efforts.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The backward communities got the reservation&nbsp;and other benefits only because of Ambedkar&rsquo;s efforts and not because of the Congress, Nehru or BJP and company.</p>


She also told the BSP workers to be alert on the possibility of an early Lok Sabha election and asked them to start preparing for it.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said on Sunday threatened that she would quit Hinduism and convert to Buddhism, along with her thousands of followers, if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party did not stop their ‘atrocities’ on Dalits and backward castes and end the exploitation of these communities. Addressing a BSP conclave, the BSP chief said, “Dr. Ambedkar had made an announcement in 1935 that he was born a Hindu but he won’t die a Hindu. He gave 21 years to Hindu religious leaders to reform. But when there was no change in their attitude, he converted to Buddhism in 1956 in Nagpur. We thought the contractors and custodians of the Hindu religion would change after his conversion and give respect to the Dalit and backward caste communities. But they continue to exploit the backward communities and the Dalits. Today, I want to warn the BJP and the RSS that if they don’t change their disrespectful, casteist and communal behaviour towards the Dalits and backward caste people and their leaders, I will also convert to Buddhism with my crores of followers.” Ms. Mayawati said she wanted to give a chance to RSS-BJP to change their casteist and communal mindset towards Dalits, Adivasis, Backwards and also those who have changed their religion and then take a call on conversion to Buddhism “at an appropriate time like Ambedkar.” She also told the BSP workers to be alert on the possibility of an early Lok Sabha election and asked them to start preparing for it. “There is a possibility that the BJP can start the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya just before Lok Sabha elections. “They can even sponsor some dramatic events in the name of patriotism to save their government and hide their failures. Be aware of such conspiracies. “The Electronic Voting Machines were tampered with in every election since 2014 to defeat the BSP,” she alleged and dared the BJP to contest all upcoming elections on ballot paper. The BSP supremo also claimed that the Mandal Commission report was implemented because of her party’s efforts. “The backward communities got the reservation and other benefits only because of Ambedkar’s efforts and not because of the Congress, Nehru or BJP and company.

I'll convert to Buddhism along with followers, Mayawati warns BJP, RSS

<p>Strange things have been happening in the Samajwadi party (SP) in the last seven months, and they have had nothing to do with Socialism on which bedrock the party rests. The sense of calm and placidity which characterised it in the 25 years of its existence, at least in terms of internal cohesiveness, began to be shattered from November onwards last year, with powerful party leader Shivpal Yadav and then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at daggers drawn.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Whatever happens from then on, the Samajwadi party will no longer be the same. The long-term impact of these developments on its electoral fortunes, which have taken a nosedive in recent times, remains to be seen. For now, the picture is not rosy. Consumed by internecine strife, it was drubbed in the Assembly election, and it will soon face the electorate in the urban body polls in this sorry situation.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>There is an air of desperation in the two warring camps. The level of surrealism can be understood by the fact that the SP&rsquo;s defeat actually brought relief to the Shivpal faction. The outcome strengthened Shivpal Yadav&rsquo;s hand against his nephew who was squarely held responsible for the debacle. But if the senior Yadav was expecting a massive revolt against Akhilesh post-defeat, that didn&rsquo;t happen.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, Shivpal Yadav has decided to carry out his threat of floating a new alternative outfit to take on the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party &mdash; something he had hinted at before the election when he saw organisational power slipping out of his hands. The Samajwadi Secular Morcha is his baby &mdash; conceived though yet to be born formally.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the birth process has run into complications and caused some amount of cheer to the Akhilesh group. Shivpal had confidently announced that the Morcha had the blessings of SP patriarch, his elder brother and Akhilesh&rsquo;s father Mulayam Singh Yadav. To call Mulayam Singh Yadav the party supremo any longer would be to rub salt into his wounds, given that the Akhilesh camp had ousted him from the national president&rsquo;s post. But Mulayam was quick to distance himself from the idea, claiming that he had not been consulted and that he would not want the party to split.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is essentially Mulayam Singh Yadav&rsquo;s ambivalence that has kept the pot boiling. The veteran politician is caught in multiple dilemmas. He does not want a split in a party he toiled to create and establish as one of Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s strongest political outfits and, yet, he is unhappy with the party as it exists today. He also cannot endure the sidelining of his brother Shivpal who has been with him through thick and thin, particularly during the Samajwadi Party&rsquo;s formative phases. Besides, he feels humiliated over the manner he has been personally dealt with. Yet, he cannot altogether abandon his son, though he has made his preference for Shivpal obvious.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>If Shivpal eventually manages to get his elder brother and SP&rsquo;s tallest leader&rsquo;s consent, then his Morcha will acquire overnight credibility. Else, it will end up as an amateurish attempt by a disgruntled, even discredited, leader who is out of sync with a &lsquo;young and progressive&rsquo; Akhilesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Samajwadi Party has opened itself to all sorts of peculiar situations, and the Morcha attempts to cause damage to the Akhilesh-led party and push him to hand over charge to the old guard. In the run-up to the election, the party had talked of being united, but both the Akhilesh and the Shivpal factions had moved the Election Commission of India for propriety over the &lsquo;Cycle&rsquo; symbol, each claiming to be the &lsquo;real&rsquo; Samajwadi Party. By all logic, such unity was bizarre. Neither the voters nor the party workers were fooled by the facade of projected wellness.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two groups were also sharply divided over contesting elections in partnership with the Congress. The Akhilesh camp wanted a tie-up; the Shivpal faction was opposed. The former had its way, with the result that neither Shivpal nor Mulayam campaigned extensively or enthusiastically for the party &mdash; and certainly not in constituencies where the Congress had put up its candidates through an arrangement with the SP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was clear, as the battle went on, that the real war would be after the result was out. Had the Akhilesh-led SP won, it would have been an end to Shivpal&rsquo;s ambitions, and the sidelining of his supporters within the party would have been a done deal. But defeat happened, and it emboldened Shivpal. Now, it&rsquo;s not just Shivpal Yadav&rsquo;s political future which is at stake; Akhilesh too stares at uncertainty. The party may be defeated but it&rsquo;s not dead. The new round will determine who will control it.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shivpal Yadav is an old hand in politics. In tentatively announcing his Morcha, he has cleverly referred to issues that no Samajwadi can possibly disagree with: First, there is the need for a fresh thrust towards &lsquo;secularism&rsquo;. Second, the Socialist ideals must be protected. Third, it&rsquo;s incumbent on all Samajwadi elements to work to restore to their leader Mulayam Singh Yadav his &lsquo;lost glory&rsquo;. The problem is: Just how will the cause of secularism be promoted by a division in the so-called secular forces?&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>As for fighting for the ideals of Socialism, nobody seriously believes that the present-day Samajwadis are Socialists in the sense that Socialism has evolved over the past three centuries in a structured form. Even Ram Manohar Lohia would find it difficult to identify strands of Socialism in the Samajwadi Party, not to speak of Henri de Saint-Simon who created the term as we understand it today and which was later built upon by the likes of Karl Marx to propound his political theory based on a materialist understanding of socio-economic phenomena.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Samajwadi Party&rsquo;s crisis is a godsend for its regional rival: Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party. Reeling under two back to back defeats &mdash; in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2017 Assembly poll &mdash; the BSP&rsquo;s hopes now rest on the decline of the SP. It&rsquo;s not that the SP&rsquo;s entire vote-bank will shift to the BSP if the former weakens further, but the minority votes will be for its asking in such a situation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The tantalising question is: If Mulayam Singh Yadav, unable to take sides in the internal feud, recedes into the background, will that make it easier for the SP and the BSP to partner each other to take on Narendra Modi&rsquo;s Bharatiya Janata Party? &nbsp;</p>


Will Samajwadi Secular Morcha create further split in the Samajwadi Party?

Strange things have been happening in the Samajwadi party (SP) in the last seven months, and they have had nothing to do with Socialism on which bedrock the party rests. The sense of calm and placidity which characterised it in the 25 years of its existence, at least in terms of internal cohesiveness, began to be shattered from November onwards last year, with powerful party leader Shivpal Yadav and then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at daggers drawn. Whatever happens from then on, the Samajwadi party will no longer be the same. The long-term impact of these developments on its electoral fortunes, which have taken a nosedive in recent times, remains to be seen. For now, the picture is not rosy. Consumed by internecine strife, it was drubbed in the Assembly election, and it will soon face the electorate in the urban body polls in this sorry situation. There is an air of desperation in the two warring camps. The level of surrealism can be understood by the fact that the SP’s defeat actually brought relief to the Shivpal faction. The outcome strengthened Shivpal Yadav’s hand against his nephew who was squarely held responsible for the debacle. But if the senior Yadav was expecting a massive revolt against Akhilesh post-defeat, that didn’t happen. So, Shivpal Yadav has decided to carry out his threat of floating a new alternative outfit to take on the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party — something he had hinted at before the election when he saw organisational power slipping out of his hands. The Samajwadi Secular Morcha is his baby — conceived though yet to be born formally. But the birth process has run into complications and caused some amount of cheer to the Akhilesh group. Shivpal had confidently announced that the Morcha had the blessings of SP patriarch, his elder brother and Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav. To call Mulayam Singh Yadav the party supremo any longer would be to rub salt into his wounds, given that the Akhilesh camp had ousted him from the national president’s post. But Mulayam was quick to distance himself from the idea, claiming that he had not been consulted and that he would not want the party to split. It is essentially Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ambivalence that has kept the pot boiling. The veteran politician is caught in multiple dilemmas. He does not want a split in a party he toiled to create and establish as one of Uttar Pradesh’s strongest political outfits and, yet, he is unhappy with the party as it exists today. He also cannot endure the sidelining of his brother Shivpal who has been with him through thick and thin, particularly during the Samajwadi Party’s formative phases. Besides, he feels humiliated over the manner he has been personally dealt with. Yet, he cannot altogether abandon his son, though he has made his preference for Shivpal obvious. If Shivpal eventually manages to get his elder brother and SP’s tallest leader’s consent, then his Morcha will acquire overnight credibility. Else, it will end up as an amateurish attempt by a disgruntled, even discredited, leader who is out of sync with a ‘young and progressive’ Akhilesh. The Samajwadi Party has opened itself to all sorts of peculiar situations, and the Morcha attempts to cause damage to the Akhilesh-led party and push him to hand over charge to the old guard. In the run-up to the election, the party had talked of being united, but both the Akhilesh and the Shivpal factions had moved the Election Commission of India for propriety over the ‘Cycle’ symbol, each claiming to be the ‘real’ Samajwadi Party. By all logic, such unity was bizarre. Neither the voters nor the party workers were fooled by the facade of projected wellness. The two groups were also sharply divided over contesting elections in partnership with the Congress. The Akhilesh camp wanted a tie-up; the Shivpal faction was opposed. The former had its way, with the result that neither Shivpal nor Mulayam campaigned extensively or enthusiastically for the party — and certainly not in constituencies where the Congress had put up its candidates through an arrangement with the SP. It was clear, as the battle went on, that the real war would be after the result was out. Had the Akhilesh-led SP won, it would have been an end to Shivpal’s ambitions, and the sidelining of his supporters within the party would have been a done deal. But defeat happened, and it emboldened Shivpal. Now, it’s not just Shivpal Yadav’s political future which is at stake; Akhilesh too stares at uncertainty. The party may be defeated but it’s not dead. The new round will determine who will control it. Shivpal Yadav is an old hand in politics. In tentatively announcing his Morcha, he has cleverly referred to issues that no Samajwadi can possibly disagree with: First, there is the need for a fresh thrust towards ‘secularism’. Second, the Socialist ideals must be protected. Third, it’s incumbent on all Samajwadi elements to work to restore to their leader Mulayam Singh Yadav his ‘lost glory’. The problem is: Just how will the cause of secularism be promoted by a division in the so-called secular forces? As for fighting for the ideals of Socialism, nobody seriously believes that the present-day Samajwadis are Socialists in the sense that Socialism has evolved over the past three centuries in a structured form. Even Ram Manohar Lohia would find it difficult to identify strands of Socialism in the Samajwadi Party, not to speak of Henri de Saint-Simon who created the term as we understand it today and which was later built upon by the likes of Karl Marx to propound his political theory based on a materialist understanding of socio-economic phenomena. The Samajwadi Party’s crisis is a godsend for its regional rival: Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party. Reeling under two back to back defeats — in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2017 Assembly poll — the BSP’s hopes now rest on the decline of the SP. It’s not that the SP’s entire vote-bank will shift to the BSP if the former weakens further, but the minority votes will be for its asking in such a situation. The tantalising question is: If Mulayam Singh Yadav, unable to take sides in the internal feud, recedes into the background, will that make it easier for the SP and the BSP to partner each other to take on Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party?

Mulyam Singh Yadav's family members are at daggers drawn

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Ms. Mayawati announced that BSP would be contesting the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh for the first time since 1995 on the party&rsquo;s symbol. This was one of the many decisions taken by Mayawati after getting trounced in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections. The week before this, signaling a major change in strategy, she had announced on the birth Anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambekdar that BSP was willing to form an alliance with any other party to fight BJP. &ldquo;Jehar ko Jahar se marenge&rdquo;&nbsp; &mdash; we could stop the poison with poison &mdash; she had retorted.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are not the only two changes Mayawati has formulated, trying to regain lost ground. Mayawati has inducted her brother Anand Kumar as the new vice president of the party, in place of Nasimuddin Siddique, as the person in-charge of the party in UP. The party leadership is devising a new strategy to deal with new challenges before the BSP movement while asking the party workers to perform with renewed vigour and almost missionary zeal. But as the four-time chief minister sets on a path to do a course correction, she may do very well to remember how Indira Gandhi, first female prime minister of India, regained her momentum after losing the election.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Exactly around forty years ago in May 1977, at Bihar&rsquo;s Belchi village in the Patna District, Dalits had been massacred by upper castes in one of the most gruesome atrocities. The first non-Congress government had just been sworn in at the Center and former prime minister Indira Gandhi was still reeling under public wrath after subjecting the nation to 18 months of coercive Emergency. But Ms. Gandhi had used the Belchi incident to stage her remarkable comeback into politics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This was the time when Indira Gandhi reached the nadir in politics. She had lost a general election in a humiliating manner, her own party men had turned against her and, if this was not enough, a Shah commission was initiated to enquire corruption charges against her with an imminent arrest looming large. But a visit to the victims&rsquo; families in the Belchi Village&mdash;probably a thoughtfully pre-planned move&mdash;changed Indira Gandhi&rsquo;s fortunes and gave her immense self-confidence and much-needed belief that she could still stage a comeback.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Belchi atrocity that changed the narrative</strong></p>

<p>It was March of 1977 and the Janata party ((JP) had just come to power with immense mandate and expectations. While the Janata party celebrated, Belchi saw 11 Dalits being shot and then burned alive one by one. Yes, in Bihar, from where the JP movement had emanated and spread across the nation that had eventually elevated the Janata Party and it&rsquo;s allies to power. Apart from winning the Assembly elections in Bihar, the party swept all fifty-four Loksabha seats, and Indira&rsquo;s Congress had been decimated in its bastion drawing a blank.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Although the instance of Belchi atrocity had sent shockwaves across the nation, no minister of the newly sworn-in Morarji Desai government at the Center or the Bihar government had shown any sympathy by visiting the victims. Sensing a great opportunity, Indira Gandhi decided to go straight to this remote village to meet the grieving families.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This move was risky on two counts. First, since Ms. Gandhi was still not forgotten for imposing the Emergency and, thus, would have faced protest from the ruling party workers or people. Secondly, the village being so remote, there was a question mark on the transportation and safety of the former prime minister. But Ms. Gandhi was determined to visit Bihar. Moreover, in July 1977, two months after the Belchi atrocity, a communal flare had resulted in the death of four Muslims in neighboring Bihar sharif village.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi decided to grab this opportunity with both hands. But reaching Biharsharif was a challenge: monsoon coupled with a lack of road complicated the situation. Undaunted, Ms. Gandhi decided to ride an elephant &mdash;probably the only means of transportation available in the flooded areas of Belchi &mdash;as she had to abandon the car, Jeep and, certainly, could not walk.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>An indefatigable Indira Gandhi, riding an elephant to meet victims&rsquo; families proved to be a defining moment. It was a classic resurrection of the messiah of the poor image. Curious villagers and bystanders gathered on the road to garland her and welcome her. After all, she was the only politician who had come a long way to visit the place. Public support, sympathy, and appreciation were the boost that a sulking Indira needed, and her Belchi visit gave her just that. She returned from Belchi a more confident politician. Indira&rsquo;s biographers have often credited this historic visit as one of the defining moments that triggered her comeback.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently, BSP&#39;s Mayawati finds herself in a similar position as Ms. Gandhi was decades back: election defeat, corruption charges, questions raised on her style of functioning, among other things.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh was the third straight defeat for the party. While the BJP did emerge as the clear winner with a two-third majority, the BSP did not get decimated. The party won over 22 per cent of the votes (3 per cent higher than what it received during 2014 general elections) and emerged as the party with the second largest vote share. Political obituaries of BSP have been written. However, contrary to the perception that only Jatavs were with them, the party was able to hold onto its entire Dalit vote. Without the Dalits, the party would not have crossed the 22 per cent mark, suggesting that all was not lost with the party.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mayawati is probably mindful of this and trying genuinely to pull all strings to get back into a political relevance. Her diatribe against EVM and persistence in taking the legal route to pressurise both the Election commission (ECI) and the Modi government bore some success. Not only did most opposition parties tow her line, but the party also scored a moral victory when both the ECI and the Modi government had to go on backfoot on the allegation on EVM tampering.&nbsp; Finance minister Arun Jaitely had to announce that government has approved funds for 16,15,000 VVPAT machines which would be used for 2019 general elections.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>One thing is certain that Mayawati was more willing than ever to listen to suggestions. Party leader Ambeth Rajan posted on Facebook immediately after the results asking for suggestions and assuring that they will be intimated to the party supremo. Within a month, Ms. Mayawati gave an indication that she was willing to join rival Samajwadi Party in what she called a fight against EVM rigging and BJP.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>SP and BSP may or may not come together as political compulsions leave both parties with little option but Mayawati&rsquo;s&nbsp; problem seems to be her refusal to go back to the basics as envisioned by the founder Kanshi Ram.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Sarvjan Party of UP or Bahujan Party of the Country</strong></p>

<p>Social activist Mangesh Dahiwale says, &ldquo;The&nbsp; BSP seems to be only focused on UP and this is not healthy for the BSP itself and the people&rsquo;s movement.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi would not visit Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on 14th April 2017 for fun and inspiration. The opponents know that the era of Ambedkarite movement has arrived and they would like to co-opt it. Without this co-option, they will not survive. The obvious political beneficiary of this awakening will be BSP if, and this is a big if, it really widens its attention and attempt to capture national power. If we have some hindrances in one area, it is wise to widen the catchment area. The catchment area of the BSP is much bigger than the UP&rdquo;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mr. Dahiwale is right. The party has been on a constant decline in states like Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Maharashtra too the party has been on the decline despite having a strong presence in Vidharbha and Marathwada region.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former India Today (Hindi) Editor and social media activist Dilip Mandal writes &mdash; &ldquo;Nitish and Laluprasad could understand the importance of Bahujan unity of Dalit-OBC-Muslim and, hence, they could defeat BJP in Bihar. But both SP and BSP advocated covert and overt Sarvjan policy with Brahmins at key positions. BJP too did the same and people liked BJP&rsquo;s Sarvjan ideology&rdquo;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mr. Mandal is hinting at SP&rsquo;s refusal to discuss any kind of social justice issues in the campaign and BSP&rsquo;s refusal to include OBCs/MBCs in the Dalit Muslim coalition.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Going back to people</strong></p>

<p>Kanshiram started his movement using a bicycle as the symbol and touring village after village carrying Babasaheb&rsquo;s message. But since gaining power, Mayawati has avoided going to the Dalit colonies. Very rarely, she has made a cameo of visiting Dalit families, facing atrocities. Her visit to the Una Dalit victims in a Gujarat hospital on August 2016 was one of the key moments as she took on the Modi government&#39;s inept handling of Dalit issues.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prior to that in 2014 Mayawati had visited Badaun in Uttar Pradesh to meet the families of two Dalit girls who were raped and murdered.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mayawati has been vocal in castigating the government in the Rajyasabha. After Rohit Vemula and Una Dalit issues, she had led opposition attack on the government, making it extremely uncomfortable for Modi government. But connecting with the people directly would give her the real shot in the arm. For years, especially after becoming the chief minister in 2007, Mayawati had shown reluctance to change her style or substance. But consecutive defeats have made her flexible to accept suggestions and make amends. Her hint to ally with SP may be one of those outcomes.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Her alliance with SP will definitely ensure a grand Dalit-Muslim-OBC-MBC coalition; BJP could be anxiously watching it from the sideline, having tasted defeat at the hands of similar &quot;mahagathbandan&quot; of Lalu Prasad-Nitish Kumar-Congress combine in Bihar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Riots caused by the BJP lawmaker Raghav Lakhanpal who deliberately took Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti procession through sensitive areas, attempting to incite Dalit versus Muslim riots could very well be BJP&rsquo;s plan to prevent a social coalition of BSP-SP in Uttar Pradesh. Alliance or no alliance, Mayawati&rsquo;s fortunes would depend on whether she goes back to the roots to get the grand Bahujan coalition as envisioned by the party founder Kanshi Ram and his message.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Probably, Mayawati needs a Belchi movement very similar to Indira Gandhi to resurrect her political career. The tremendous support Indira Gandhi received at Belchi gave her enough confidence and ammunition to take on the opponent when she was down. It may be recalled that both Kansai Ram and Mayawati had visited Bulandshahar village where four Dalits had been lynched in 1995</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mayawati needs to reinvent herself with not just one but many Belchi moments across the country for the survival of Bahujan Samaj Party&mdash;both as a political force in the form of the third largest party of India and as a party of the have-nots. The sooner the better.</p>


With election defeats, corruption charges and disconnect from people, Mayawati is in a similar position as Ms. Gandhi was decades back

Last week, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Ms. Mayawati announced that BSP would be contesting the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh for the first time since 1995 on the party’s symbol. This was one of the many decisions taken by Mayawati after getting trounced in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections. The week before this, signaling a major change in strategy, she had announced on the birth Anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambekdar that BSP was willing to form an alliance with any other party to fight BJP. “Jehar ko Jahar se marenge” — we could stop the poison with poison — she had retorted. These are not the only two changes Mayawati has formulated, trying to regain lost ground. Mayawati has inducted her brother Anand Kumar as the new vice president of the party, in place of Nasimuddin Siddique, as the person in-charge of the party in UP. The party leadership is devising a new strategy to deal with new challenges before the BSP movement while asking the party workers to perform with renewed vigour and almost missionary zeal. But as the four-time chief minister sets on a path to do a course correction, she may do very well to remember how Indira Gandhi, first female prime minister of India, regained her momentum after losing the election. Exactly around forty years ago in May 1977, at Bihar’s Belchi village in the Patna District, Dalits had been massacred by upper castes in one of the most gruesome atrocities. The first non-Congress government had just been sworn in at the Center and former prime minister Indira Gandhi was still reeling under public wrath after subjecting the nation to 18 months of coercive Emergency. But Ms. Gandhi had used the Belchi incident to stage her remarkable comeback into politics. This was the time when Indira Gandhi reached the nadir in politics. She had lost a general election in a humiliating manner, her own party men had turned against her and, if this was not enough, a Shah commission was initiated to enquire corruption charges against her with an imminent arrest looming large. But a visit to the victims’ families in the Belchi Village—probably a thoughtfully pre-planned move—changed Indira Gandhi’s fortunes and gave her immense self-confidence and much-needed belief that she could still stage a comeback. Belchi atrocity that changed the narrative It was March of 1977 and the Janata party ((JP) had just come to power with immense mandate and expectations. While the Janata party celebrated, Belchi saw 11 Dalits being shot and then burned alive one by one. Yes, in Bihar, from where the JP movement had emanated and spread across the nation that had eventually elevated the Janata Party and it’s allies to power. Apart from winning the Assembly elections in Bihar, the party swept all fifty-four Loksabha seats, and Indira’s Congress had been decimated in its bastion drawing a blank. Although the instance of Belchi atrocity had sent shockwaves across the nation, no minister of the newly sworn-in Morarji Desai government at the Center or the Bihar government had shown any sympathy by visiting the victims. Sensing a great opportunity, Indira Gandhi decided to go straight to this remote village to meet the grieving families. This move was risky on two counts. First, since Ms. Gandhi was still not forgotten for imposing the Emergency and, thus, would have faced protest from the ruling party workers or people. Secondly, the village being so remote, there was a question mark on the transportation and safety of the former prime minister. But Ms. Gandhi was determined to visit Bihar. Moreover, in July 1977, two months after the Belchi atrocity, a communal flare had resulted in the death of four Muslims in neighboring Bihar sharif village. Indira Gandhi decided to grab this opportunity with both hands. But reaching Biharsharif was a challenge: monsoon coupled with a lack of road complicated the situation. Undaunted, Ms. Gandhi decided to ride an elephant —probably the only means of transportation available in the flooded areas of Belchi —as she had to abandon the car, Jeep and, certainly, could not walk. An indefatigable Indira Gandhi, riding an elephant to meet victims’ families proved to be a defining moment. It was a classic resurrection of the messiah of the poor image. Curious villagers and bystanders gathered on the road to garland her and welcome her. After all, she was the only politician who had come a long way to visit the place. Public support, sympathy, and appreciation were the boost that a sulking Indira needed, and her Belchi visit gave her just that. She returned from Belchi a more confident politician. Indira’s biographers have often credited this historic visit as one of the defining moments that triggered her comeback. Recently, BSP's Mayawati finds herself in a similar position as Ms. Gandhi was decades back: election defeat, corruption charges, questions raised on her style of functioning, among other things. The recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh was the third straight defeat for the party. While the BJP did emerge as the clear winner with a two-third majority, the BSP did not get decimated. The party won over 22 per cent of the votes (3 per cent higher than what it received during 2014 general elections) and emerged as the party with the second largest vote share. Political obituaries of BSP have been written. However, contrary to the perception that only Jatavs were with them, the party was able to hold onto its entire Dalit vote. Without the Dalits, the party would not have crossed the 22 per cent mark, suggesting that all was not lost with the party. Mayawati is probably mindful of this and trying genuinely to pull all strings to get back into a political relevance. Her diatribe against EVM and persistence in taking the legal route to pressurise both the Election commission (ECI) and the Modi government bore some success. Not only did most opposition parties tow her line, but the party also scored a moral victory when both the ECI and the Modi government had to go on backfoot on the allegation on EVM tampering. Finance minister Arun Jaitely had to announce that government has approved funds for 16,15,000 VVPAT machines which would be used for 2019 general elections. One thing is certain that Mayawati was more willing than ever to listen to suggestions. Party leader Ambeth Rajan posted on Facebook immediately after the results asking for suggestions and assuring that they will be intimated to the party supremo. Within a month, Ms. Mayawati gave an indication that she was willing to join rival Samajwadi Party in what she called a fight against EVM rigging and BJP. SP and BSP may or may not come together as political compulsions leave both parties with little option but Mayawati’s problem seems to be her refusal to go back to the basics as envisioned by the founder Kanshi Ram. Sarvjan Party of UP or Bahujan Party of the Country Social activist Mangesh Dahiwale says, “The BSP seems to be only focused on UP and this is not healthy for the BSP itself and the people’s movement. Modi would not visit Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on 14th April 2017 for fun and inspiration. The opponents know that the era of Ambedkarite movement has arrived and they would like to co-opt it. Without this co-option, they will not survive. The obvious political beneficiary of this awakening will be BSP if, and this is a big if, it really widens its attention and attempt to capture national power. If we have some hindrances in one area, it is wise to widen the catchment area. The catchment area of the BSP is much bigger than the UP” Mr. Dahiwale is right. The party has been on a constant decline in states like Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Maharashtra too the party has been on the decline despite having a strong presence in Vidharbha and Marathwada region. Former India Today (Hindi) Editor and social media activist Dilip Mandal writes — “Nitish and Laluprasad could understand the importance of Bahujan unity of Dalit-OBC-Muslim and, hence, they could defeat BJP in Bihar. But both SP and BSP advocated covert and overt Sarvjan policy with Brahmins at key positions. BJP too did the same and people liked BJP’s Sarvjan ideology” Mr. Mandal is hinting at SP’s refusal to discuss any kind of social justice issues in the campaign and BSP’s refusal to include OBCs/MBCs in the Dalit Muslim coalition. Going back to people Kanshiram started his movement using a bicycle as the symbol and touring village after village carrying Babasaheb’s message. But since gaining power, Mayawati has avoided going to the Dalit colonies. Very rarely, she has made a cameo of visiting Dalit families, facing atrocities. Her visit to the Una Dalit victims in a Gujarat hospital on August 2016 was one of the key moments as she took on the Modi government's inept handling of Dalit issues. Prior to that in 2014 Mayawati had visited Badaun in Uttar Pradesh to meet the families of two Dalit girls who were raped and murdered. Mayawati has been vocal in castigating the government in the Rajyasabha. After Rohit Vemula and Una Dalit issues, she had led opposition attack on the government, making it extremely uncomfortable for Modi government. But connecting with the people directly would give her the real shot in the arm. For years, especially after becoming the chief minister in 2007, Mayawati had shown reluctance to change her style or substance. But consecutive defeats have made her flexible to accept suggestions and make amends. Her hint to ally with SP may be one of those outcomes. Her alliance with SP will definitely ensure a grand Dalit-Muslim-OBC-MBC coalition; BJP could be anxiously watching it from the sideline, having tasted defeat at the hands of similar "mahagathbandan" of Lalu Prasad-Nitish Kumar-Congress combine in Bihar. Riots caused by the BJP lawmaker Raghav Lakhanpal who deliberately took Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti procession through sensitive areas, attempting to incite Dalit versus Muslim riots could very well be BJP’s plan to prevent a social coalition of BSP-SP in Uttar Pradesh. Alliance or no alliance, Mayawati’s fortunes would depend on whether she goes back to the roots to get the grand Bahujan coalition as envisioned by the party founder Kanshi Ram and his message. Probably, Mayawati needs a Belchi movement very similar to Indira Gandhi to resurrect her political career. The tremendous support Indira Gandhi received at Belchi gave her enough confidence and ammunition to take on the opponent when she was down. It may be recalled that both Kansai Ram and Mayawati had visited Bulandshahar village where four Dalits had been lynched in 1995 Mayawati needs to reinvent herself with not just one but many Belchi moments across the country for the survival of Bahujan Samaj Party—both as a political force in the form of the third largest party of India and as a party of the have-nots. The sooner the better.

What BSP's Mayawati can learn from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

<p>Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati hit out Tuesday at the Modi government after the Enforcement Directorate detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to her party.</p>

<p>Addressing the media, Mayawati alleged that the BJP was misusing state machinery to malign her party&#39;s name.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>It is understood the ED will soon issue notices to Mayawati&#39;s brother Anand; Rs 1.43 crore was deposited in a bank account in his name</h5>
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<p>&quot;We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited in bank, but what about deposits by BJP,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>She also alleged BJP is tarnishing the BSP&#39;s image ahead of the UP assembly elections.</p>

<p>The enforcement directorate had on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the BSP and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Mayawati&#39;s brother Anand in a Delhi branch of the United Bank of India.</p>

<p>Agency officials said the ED sleuths called for records of the deposits and found that while Rs 102 crore was deposited in old 1,000-rupee notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore was deposited in old 500-rupee notes.</p>

<p>The ED said it has asked the bank to provide it the KYC (know your customer) documents used to open the accounts, and CCTV footage of the deposits being made.</p>

<p>It is understood the agency will soon issue notices to Anand him and also intimate the income tax department about the deposits, asking that they be investigated under anti-tax evasion laws.</p>

<p>(This article first appeared in DNA)</p>


'We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited,' she said

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati hit out Tuesday at the Modi government after the Enforcement Directorate detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to her party. Addressing the media, Mayawati alleged that the BJP was misusing state machinery to malign her party's name. It is understood the ED will soon issue notices to Mayawati's brother Anand; Rs 1.43 crore was deposited in a bank account in his name × "We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited in bank, but what about deposits by BJP," she said. She also alleged BJP is tarnishing the BSP's image ahead of the UP assembly elections. The enforcement directorate had on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the BSP and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Mayawati's brother Anand in a Delhi branch of the United Bank of India. Agency officials said the ED sleuths called for records of the deposits and found that while Rs 102 crore was deposited in old 1,000-rupee notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore was deposited in old 500-rupee notes. The ED said it has asked the bank to provide it the KYC (know your customer) documents used to open the accounts, and CCTV footage of the deposits being made. It is understood the agency will soon issue notices to Anand him and also intimate the income tax department about the deposits, asking that they be investigated under anti-tax evasion laws. (This article first appeared in DNA)

Mayawati: Central govt misusing state machinery to malign BSP before UP elections