BSP to vote against Vajpayee
The Bahujan Samaj Party, which has five members in the Lok Sabha, will vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the event of a trial of strength, its senior leader and newly elected MP Arif
Mohammed Khan said.
Khan, who is a former Union minister, said his party was in favour of 'instability' as the dalit and Muslim interests could be safeguarded only in 'politically unstable' environs.
After politically exploiting the minorities, most of the
parties almost always overlooked their interests. Such practices
would not be allowed to flourish anymore, he said.
Ruling out the possibility of an electoral tie-up between
the BSP and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, he said his party would have no truck with anyone.
Khan, who was earlier in the Congress, said the vote
bank of that party in UP had eroded steadily over the years.
As for the SP, it had shrunk its base to a section of Muslims and Yadavs. It could take the Yadav-Muslim votes in some constituencies, but was incapable of transferring its vote to its allies, he said.
The BSP leader, who was in the eye of the storm during the
historical Shah Bano case and had resigned from the Rajiv Gandhi ministry, opposed the BJP's Uniform Civil Code. He disagreed with the perception that it would integrate all sections of society.
''Unity is not possible through the Civil Code,'' he said.
As for the Ram temple at Ayodhya, he said the matter should be settled through a court order or by mutual agreement between the two communities.
The abrogation of Article 370, conferring special status to Jammu and Kashmir, would be opposed tooth and nail.
As for the UP situation, the BSP was ready to join hands
with any political party to ensure the fall of the Kalyan Singh
government.
UNI
Elections '98
Tell us what you think of this report
|