Keeping a tight lease, BSP supremo Mayawati has spelt out “do’s and don’ts” to the party MPs for the Monsoon session of the Parliament by telling them that they have to launch a scathing attack on the UPA government on issues of price rise and neglect of UP but without being seen joining hands with the NDA and other parties.
Ms Mayawati, who made a silent trip to the capital, held a close door meeting at her residence with party MPs on Monday. Sources said that the BSP supremo made a point that all her party MPs attend the Parliament session fully prepared on the party line on various issues concerning UP apart from the issue of price rise. However, in a relief to the UPA government, Ms Mayawati has told party MPs not to take part in any kind of voting against the government. The BSP had bailed out the UPA government in the Budget session of the Parliament when the Opposition had moved a cut motion.
“The party supremo has told us that the runaway price rise has done a body blow to the poor. The high growth rate is not enough and ways need to be found to tame the price rise. We have been asked to be aggressive on the issue,” said a Lok Sabha MP of the BSP.
Sources said that Ms Mayawati has spelt out the party position on a host of issues to her MPs, which will be raised in the Parliament. With Bundelkhand emerging as the political battleground for the BSP and Congress, Ms Mayawati, sources said, has asked the party MPs to raise the issue of lack of support of the Central government in mitigating sufferings of farmers. “Under the scheme of draught area pond development, the Central government is assisting only 20 blocks, while there are 46 blocks in the Bundelkhand region. We have been asked to highlight lack of support for the Bundelkhand region by the Centre,” stated another BSP MP.
The BSP supremo has also spelt out the party stand on Naxalism, which she has described as a socio-economic problem. Even on this issue, the BSP supremo has told the party MPs that while the districts of Chandouli and Mirzapur are reeling under the Naxal menace, the Centre has identified only the Sonbhadra district for support.