Maya looks to expand in other states

LUCKNOW: After consolidating its position in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj Party is targeting states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Himachal Pradesh. Starting from Madhya Pradesh, the BSP had organised a Kushwaha sammelan in Gwalior and also entrusted Parsnath Maurya to work for bringing Mauryas and Kushwahas in the party fold. It also plans to organise a similar convention in Tikamgarh, Bhopal and Indore in the near future.The BSP had considerable support in Madhya Pradesh, especially in the areas adjacent to Uttar Pradesh. Maurya was recently made head of the backward class commission.
Next is Gujarat which the national general secretary of BSP Satish Chandra Mishra may visit to strengthen the organisation, said sources. The five expelled BJP leaders from Gujarat are not averse to joining the BSP, said a party leader.
The party’s coordinators, sources said, may be sent to Gujarat to assess the situation there.The party also plans to organise dalit-pichda sammelan in the states where elections are to be held in a year or two, said a party leader. A few days back, the BSP had won over the office-bearers of Mukti Morcha in Orissa.The party will then organise caste-based conferences to garner support . Once the BSP completes caste-based conferences, it will organise tour of the party supremo in an atmosphere in favour of the party.
This strategy will be adopted in the states where elections are due in a year or two. In any case the BSP plans to gain foothold in a few states even before the 2009 parliamentary elections. Back home in Uttar Pradesh, the party is chalking out a strategy to win over support of groups which have alienated themselves from the mainstream parties, said a party leader.The BSP thinks that if it wins the by-polls to Ballia parliamentary seat, along with Farrukhabad and Swartanda assembly constituencies, the party will leave an impact on the electorates of the neighbouring states.