Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati on Wednesday sounded the poll bugle for Haryana by launching a fiery attack on both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over their stand on reservations and the welfare of backward and Dalit communities.
Addressing a massive rally in Uchana, Jind, marking the 111th birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister late Devi Lal, Mayawati made her intentions clear as she demanded a caste census and laid out the vision for an INLD-BSP government in Haryana, promising a Dalit deputy chief minister if the alliance comes to power.
She criticized both the Congress and the BJP for “betraying” the Dalit and backward communities, accusing them of failing to uphold the true spirit of reservation.
In her speech, Mayawati launched a blistering attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of double standards on the issue of reservation. She referred to his controversial statement made during his visit to the US, where he allegedly said that “reservation will end when India becomes a fair place”.
“Rahul Gandhi changes his colours like a chameleon. When abroad, he talks about ending reservation, but when elections come, he pretends to support it. The people of Haryana should not be fooled by his duplicity. We need to teach the Congress a lesson in this election,” she declared, accusing Gandhi of betraying the backward classes.
Mayawati urged the voters of Haryana, particularly those from the Dalit and backward communities, to reject both the BJP and Congress, arguing that they are complicit in undermining the reservation system. She claimed both parties have failed to act on the Supreme Court’s rulings on the categorization of the creamy layer and reservation limits, using the court’s decisions to further their own anti-reservation agendas.
Reiterating her demand for a caste census, Mayawati said, “The caste census is crucial for ensuring that every community receives its fair share in government programs and policies. The Congress government earlier and the current BJP government have both neglected this demand.” She highlighted how backward communities and Dalits continue to face discrimination even after more than 50 years of independence, blaming successive governments for failing to ensure true social justice.
Mayawati also slammed the BJP for not giving adequate representation to Dalit women in the recently passed Women’s Reservation Bill, calling it a “missed opportunity” to empower one of the most marginalized sections of society. “The BJP government only wants to give lip service to the cause of Dalits, but when it comes to taking real action, they always fall short,” she added.
In a significant political promise, Mayawati announced that if the INLD-BSP alliance comes to power in Haryana, the state will have a Dalit deputy chief minister. “Abhay Singh Chautala will be the chief minister, and we will have two deputy chief ministers—one from the Dalit community and another from either the backward classes or the upper caste,” she declared, offering a major draw for Dalit voters ahead of the October 5 elections.
Sharing the stage with Mayawati, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala unveiled a series of welfare promises aimed at improving the lives of the poor and marginalized in Haryana. Among his promises were free cooking gas cylinders, a cash dole of Rs 1,100 per household, free electricity, free healthcare for those seeking treatment outside the state, and free plots of 100 square yards for the poor. Chautala also committed to bringing back the Old Pension Scheme if the alliance forms the next government.
Haryana is set to go to the polls on October 5, and the results will be declared on October 8. With Mayawati’s strategic focus on caste issues and welfare promises, the BSP-INLD alliance hopes to make significant inroads in the state’s political landscape.
In his address INLD supremo OP Choutala said that the farmers of Haryana were not getting remunerative prices of their produce and they were being forced to sell their produce at the lower prices and they were not even able to recover the input cost. He promised to provide better prices to farmers if the INLD-BSP alliance is voted to power. The INLD-BSP have formed an alliance for Haryana assembly elections as the INLD was contesting on 53 seats and the BSP was contesting on remaining 37 seats.
