Orissa politics hots up as Mayawati appears in scene

BSP announces to provide reservation to upper caste poor
By Our Staff Reporter
Sambalpur (Orissa ): Mar 24: The BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday launched her party’s poll campaign in Orissa by addressing an impressive rally here. She declared that her party would provide reservation for the poor among the upper castes, if assumed power at the Centre.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister, who landed here by a charted flight from Lucknow, said the BSP was the only party which represented all sections of the society. The BSP would work for the development of all groups of the society and none of them will be discriminated or neglected, if the party was voted to power at the Centre, she added.
“The BSP does not belong to any particular caste or religion, it is for all sections of society irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. My government in Uttar Pradesh has been working for the uplift of all sections including dalits and upper castes,” she said.
She attacked the Congress and the BJP for not extending reservation facilities to the poor among the upper caste population. She also accused the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre of diluting the reservation policies for the dalits by framing new rules. This defeated the very purpose of reservation policies, she said.
Ms Mayawati said the economic policies of the UPA government have led to worsening of unemployment problem and poverty in the country. Farmers, workers, employees and professionals have been badly affected by this, she said, adding, only capitalists had been benefited during the UPA regime.
She said the BSP would have no understanding with any party in the ensuing general elections and fight the polls on its own strength.
She released the first list of candidates of the party for the forthcoming LS and Assembly elections in Orissa on the occasion. BSP has decided to field candidates in all the 147 Assembly and 21 LS seats in the state.