Mayawati roots for 300 seats in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections

Barabanki: Bhahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati claimed here on Wednesday that in company of Muslims, her party would bag around 300 seats in the current poll in Uttar Pradesh and form a government in the state after a ten-year gap.

Addressing an election rally, three days before polling in the constituency, she said, her assessment is based on the feed-back from areas which went to polls in the first phase and reports emanating from other parts of the state which will cast votes in next five phases.

Her claim runs parallel to the claim by the Samajwadi Party which has allied with the Congress for the first time and hopes to cash on it.

In her long speech, Mayawati emphasised on three points-- lop-sided development of the state, rampant corruption encouraged by the ruling party and the Jungle Raj. According to her, only one caste was preferred in appointments, ignoring other castes and community.

"An inquiry will be made into all these scams and a better order maintained if the party comes back to power after ten years", she promised.

Referring to election in the first phase, she claimed that her party had got overwhelming support in that phase, The party was doing well in the second phase too and will do the same in the rest of phases.

The law and order situation in the state was so bad that women, particularly young girls, did not venture out in the evening. "When they went out in the evening, their family members were not sure of their safe return", she said adding that her party would accord top priority to it and change the situation for the better in a record time.

To allay the fear of the non-Dalits and non-Muslims, she said that her government would work for the benefit of all castes and communities and that no one should have any doubt in this regard. " My aim is inclusive development and not development of a group or caste".

Replying to criticism that she spent most of public money on her party icons and herself she reiterated that statues and elephant symbol of the party would not be installed again if she was voted to power.