http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/mayawati-to-hold-massive-dalit-rally-in-lucknow-today-153269
Mayawati hits out at Rahul Gandhi in rally, says Congress is scared of BSP
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: November 28, 2011 01:16 IST
Lucknow: Marching ahead for the coming elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mayawati has gone back to the basics. In a signal to her core
strength, she indicated that the BSP may need the Brahmins and the
minorities, but the battle can't be won without the Dalits.
"For the next 15-20 years, a Dalit will be chosen by the BSP to be the
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh," she said while addressing a Dalit
rally in Lucknow on Sunday.
If at the recent Brahmin rally Mayawati had showcased SC Mishra, today
it was Swamy Prasad Maurya - a leader from the weaker sections.
The key reason for the shift and promise is her tormentor - Rahul
Gandhi - who has dined with Dalits, stayed at their homes and attacked
her for doing nothing beyond lip service for Dalits.
At her rally for UP's most marginalised, Mayawati followed up on full
page advertisements, listing what she has done to change their lives -
and virtually rebutting Mr Gandhi's charges.
The battlelines are clearly drawn - on one side of the trenches is
Mayawati and on the other side Rahul Gandhi. The threat from Mr Gandhi
was palpable; Mayawati's rebuttal to every allegation made by the
Congress general secretary was vicious.
With the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister focussing on him, Rahul Gandhi
can smile. His attacks on Mayawati have propelled the Congress - with
just 19 seats in UP assembly - as a visibly key rival to the BSP.
"There is an elephant sitting in Lucknow and this elephant is eating
your money. This time UP has decided to throw away this elephant," Mr
Gandhi had said during a rally on Friday.
"The Congress is getting nightmares about BSP's election symbol
elephant driving them away," Mayawati retorted on Sunday.
The focus of Mayawati's next rally in Lucknow on December 18 will be
of Muslims, Rajputs and Baniyas. The underline perhaps is that poll
slogans may speak of development, but in UP, elections mean castes and
their chemistry.
Clearly, the political battle for 2012 will intensify in the days ahead.
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