BSP: 300 candidates, including 90 Dalits, already finalised

Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has already decided at least 300 of its total 403 candidates for Uttar Pradesh. Of these, 90 are Dalits, party general secretary S C Misra said on Thursday.

Taking a swipe at the rival parties, he said the BJP and the Samajwadi Party were yet to finalise their candidates at the two parties lacked confidence in their leaders.

"Of the 300 names finalised so far, 90 are Dalits and their number will rise as candidates for the rest of the seats are decided," Misra said.

When asked about Brahmin and Muslim candidates, he said, "You will know when the list is formally declared after Mayawati's birthday on January 15."

Another party leader said Brahmins and Muslims have been given a good representation.

Mayawati has already announced that the BSP was seeking to go with its 2007 winning formula encompassing Dalits and Brahmins in the February-March polls. The party also commands a substantial vote share among the Muslim community.

While Dalits constitute over 20 per cent of the population in Uttar Pradesh, Brahmins form 13 per cent and Muslims approximately 20 per cent.

"While the other parties have not yet decided on their opening batsmen (candidates for first phase polls on February 10), the BSP has chosen 300 candidates and names of some have already been made public," Misra said.

Talking about the poll preparation, he said he alone has addressed around 96 rallies in all 75 districts of the state. Other leaders of the party have also addressed several public meetings to prepare a solid ground for the party, he pointed out. Misra, a Rajya Sabha MP, is the 'Brahmin face' of the Mayawati-led party and has been extensively touring the state to forge a closer tie-up between Dalits and Brahmins, a social engineering that proved to a success for the BSP and catapulted it to power

in 2007.