BJP Moves EC, Demands BSP Be Barred From Contesting Polls

BJP claimed that Mayawati flouted SC directive’s by seeking to win votes through caste.

Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati. (Photo: PTI)

A BJP leader has moved the Election Commission against BSP chief Mayawati accusing her of seeking votes in the name of caste and demanded that her party be debarred from contesting elections.

BJP's UP executive member Neeraj Shankar Saxena moved a petition against Mayawati on Saturday demanding that her party be debarred from contesting polls. Saxena also demanded that an FIR be filed against her for "flouting" Supreme Court directives.

Mayawati, during her press conference on 24 December and 3 January, presented caste-wise details of ticket distribution, clearly stating how many tickets have been given to Muslims, backwards, SCs and others.

Neeraj Shankar Saxena, Executive Member of BJP’s UP Unit

Besides, her party men are distributing booklets titled Muslim samaj ka sachcha hitaishi kaun-faisla aap karein in all the constituencies, he claimed, pointing out that this too was against the SC directives that says votes cannot be sought on the basis of caste, community or language.

On 3 January, Mayawati had said in a press conference that of the 403 seats, 85 are reserved for the SCs and 87 tickets have been given to Dalits, 97 to Muslims, 106 to OBCs, 66 to Brahmins, 36 to Kshetriyas and 11 to Kayasthas, Vaishyas and Punjabis.

The SC in its ruling last week had said religion and caste cannot be used to seek votes and made it clear that religion has no role in the electoral process and that it is just a secular activity.