Mayawati denies differences with Kanshi Ram

LUCKNOW, SEPT. 2. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) vice-president, Ms. Mayawati, today denied reports that there were differences between her and the party chief, Mr. Kanshi Ram, and said they were devoting time separately for the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Mr. Kanshi Ram was working towards bringing a BSP government to power in Punjab, where elections are due along with Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal, she told presspersons here. ``We have chalked out a strategy for the elections with myself concentrating on Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal and Mr. Kanshi Ram on Punjab.''

Reiterating that the BSP would not forge a pre-poll alliance with any political party in all the three States, she said her party would win an absolute majority in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. ``If elections in these States take place after some time, Mr. Kanshi ram would be in a position to spend some time in Uttar Pradesh and I in Punjab.'' She said she would attend a BSP-sponsored `Chamar chust rally' at Hoshiarpur in Punjab on September 23, through which the party would unite the `bahujan samaj' under one umbrella.

Demanding amendments to the Constitution to provide adequate reservation to the Dalits and backwards, she said the meagre representation given to them under the quota facility always helped the cause of the upper castes, who walked away with the major opportunities. Criticising the BJP Government for abolishing the ``special steps'' taken by the BSP Government when she headed the State, she said the BJP Government had always taken steps to benefit the ``manuwadi'' forces. ``However, the BJP will not be able to cash in on the MBC formula in the elections and will crumble under its own weight. ''

- UNI

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`Received crores on my birthday'

LUCKNOW, SEPT. 2. The Bahujan Samaj Party vice-president, Ms. Mayawati, today admitted that she had received crores of rupees on her birthday in New Delhi recently.

Asked to comment on allegations in this regard by some expelled BSP leaders, she shot back at a press conference here, ``Who does not take money for his party? When the giver and the taker have no problems, why does it bother them.''

- PTI

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