Gujarat imitated BSP's housing scheme: Mayawati

Ahmedabad: In a veiled attack on Narendra Modi, BSP chief Mayawati today alleged that the Gujarat Chief Minister has imitated her party in promising houses to the poor, a scheme, which she claims was for the first time introduced by their government in Uttar Pradesh. “Our BSP government in UP had given two-room houses to poor and downtrodden people in the state. And now chief minister of your state has imitated that programme and promised the same to people here,” she said while addressing an election rally in Ahmedabad, without naming Modi.[caption id=“attachment_557988” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. PTI[/caption] “He has promised in the party manifesto too that they will allot houses with two-room each to poor people. This is nothing but a copy of our BSP government which introduced this scheme for first time in the country,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added. The BJP, in its election manifesto for the state Assembly elections, promised to build 50 lakhs houses in next five years. BSP has fielded 163 candidates for 182 assembly seats in the state. Visiting Gujarat for campaigning ahead of the second phase of assembly elections, Mayawati took potshots at the Modi-led BJP government saying that when her party was in power, it had maintained peace and harmony among the people and never allowed any riots or disturbances. “No one had every felt insecure during our governments. We had maintained harmony among people of different religions and communities. During all BSP governments we have never allowed communal riots, like it happened here in Gujarat,” she claimed. Terming both BJP and Congress as “the party for the wealthy” she alleged that both were getting elected, including in Gujarat, with the funding and support of capitalists. “And once they forms government they only cater to the need and wants of only those wealthy people and capitalists with whose support they came to power… these parties never cared for downtrodden people,” she added. “If you want to get rid of your problems then you have to prevent Congress and BJP at any cost to gain power here in your state. Instead you have to try your best to bring your party, Bahujan Samaj Party into the power by electing its candidates with big margin,” she appealed. Voting will take place for remaining 95 seats on 17 December in the second phase of assembly elections and counting is scheduled to be held on 20 December. PTI