Lucknow:
Mayawati will address a public rally in Lucknow today, her first since she was ousted by the Samajwadi Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections seven months ago. The rally, expected to be a massive affair, kicks off the Bahujan Samaj Party chief's effort to reorganise her party for the 2014 general elections and over the next two days she will also spell out whether her party will continue to support the UPA at the Centre despite its strong opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail, hike in diesel prices and cap on LPG subsidy.
Ms Mayawati has chosen to make her first political appearance in months on the sixth death anniversary of her mentor and party founder Kanshi Ram. Thousands of people have already gathered at the huge Ambedkar park, the BSP expects several lakhs to attend today's Maha Dalit rally. The party chief is expected to make an address at noon. Tomorrow, she will hold a meeting with her party MPs, MLAs and senior functionaries to discuss and decide on the BSP's political strategy.
The BSP has 21 MPs in the Lok Sabha and its support is crucial for the Congress-led UPA, especially after Mamata Banerjee walked out last month, plunging it into a minority. The UPA now needs the external support both Ms Mayawati and her bete noire Mulayam Singh Yadav provide to last its term till 2014.
Ms Banerjee withdrew support over the government's new reforms drive - she wanted hard decisions on fuel subsidy and the move to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail to be rolled back. Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati have the same objections, but while the former has indicated that he will not rock the UPA boat despite his misgivings, Ms Mayawati has kept the Congress guessing so far, promising to reveal her cards after she meets her party leaders.
At today's rally, Ms Mayawati is expected to come down heavily on the Congress-led alliance over the Manmohan Singh government's hyper reforms drive. But IANS also quoted a BSP leader as saying, "
Behenji (Mayawati) is very clear on one issue. She is against the hike in fuel prices, LPG subsidy being slashed and FDI in retail, but she is not in a hurry to precipitate a snap poll." After her huge loss in UP early this year, Ms Mawayati would like to consolidate and rebuild her party before she faces any elections.
She is also expected to make a frontal attack on Akhilesh Yadav, the 39-year-old Samajwadi Party leader who has replaced her as Chief Minister of UP.
The BSP has pulled no stops in trying to ensure a grand show. Eleven special trains and over 800 buses have been arranged for to bring in supporters from other parts of the state. "Every BSP legislator has been asked to bring in as many workers and people as they can. Makeshift hospitals have been made, activists are manning special welcome booths and helplines to guide rallyists who have begun trooping into the state capital," a BSP leader was quoted as saying.
More than 8,000 party workers have already arrived from Maharashtra and party cadres from other states are coming in too.