BSP’s electioneering yet to pick pace in state

Kuldeep Chauhan 

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 5

With social justice and unemployment as the key poll planks in the hill state, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and star campaigner Mayawati, party MP Satish Chander Mishra and national general secretary Akash Anand will give a push to a "lackluster" campaign of their four candidates. However, the party is yet to release the schedule of their rally in the state, which will go to the polls on May 19.

Although the BSP does not have a significant political base in Himachal, it has fielded candidates on all four LS seats in the state. They are Kehar Singh from Kangra, Ses Ram from Mandi, Des Raj from Hamirpur and Bikram Singh from Shimla.

No national leader has so far organised any rally in support of their candidates. The party's activities on social media are yet to gain pace. Moreover, the state unit of the party has not updated its website for the past several years. There are hardly any banners, posters and hoardings of the BSP on roadsides and at public places.

The party’s prominent campaigners include Akash Anand, Raja Ram, Avtar Singh Karimpuri, Daya Chand, Kanshi Ram, Vijay Bahri, and Vijaya Nayar. All four contesting candidates are themselves star campaigners as per the list submitted by BSP state president Kehar Singh to the Election Commission of India.

BSP state unit president Kehar Singh said they were yet to receive any confirmation about Mayawati’s rally in Himachal. Raja Ram would address a series of election meetings in Manali, Mandi, Kangra, Chamba and other places in the coming week, he added.