Need for stringent anti defection law before elections: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party Supremo Mayawati releasing the first list of party candidates for Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 at a press conference, in Lucknow on Saturday. (UNI)
Bahujan Samaj Party Supremo Mayawati releasing the first list of party candidates for Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 at a press conference, in Lucknow on Saturday. (UNI)

LUCKNOW, Jan 15: Demanding a stringent anti defection law in the country, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati expressed confidence about her party returning to power on her 66th birthday here on Saturday.
She also announced the names of 53 candidates out of 58 for the first phase of polling.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday she said that the list of candidates for five out of 58 seats would be released later.
Ms Mayawati also demanded to make the anti-defection law strict in view of the recent defection of leaders from almost all major parties just before the assembly polls. “There is a need for strict law to prevent these opportunist politicians from changing parties before the elections,” she stressed. She said that the BSP has full hope of returning to power. “People will support us on the basis of past work, opponents are adopting every trick to stop us from coming to power, but the public has understood their tactics,” she said. Ms Mayawati blamed the opposition and even some TV channels who through their opinion poll have hatched conspiracy to publicise that the BSP is not coming to power.
“But the people will support the BSP candidates in a big way and the party will return to power like 2007 in UP,” she claimed. Ms Mayawati said that, “Like last year, this year also my birthday is being celebrated following the protocol of Covid-19 as public welfare day.” She also released the 17th part of the written book Blue Book. Mayawati has released the Hindi and English editions of the 17th part of her own written Blue Book (My Life and Safarnama of the BSP Movement). The Blue Book contains a complete account of the activities of the party during the last one year which has been very challenging.
In view of the corona virus infection and the code of conduct for the assembly elections, the party has not organized any big event across the state on the birthday of Ms Mayawati like the previous years. Party officials and workers will help the poor, helpless and other needy people in various ways. While finalizing the names of most of the party’s candidates, they have been declared at the district level. (UNI)