The occasion was a meeting of the candidates, with the party’s zonal coordinators and mandal presidents. For past some time, there had been reports that the BSP is going to change its candidates as other parties came out with their lists. Some changes have actually been made in recent days. This had created an uncertainty among the candidates.

“She made it clear that there would be no changes, barring a few, and asked us to concentrate on the election campaign,” said one of the candidates. “She encouraged us to share problems and assured her full cooperation in the election,” he added.

Mayawati gave opportunity to every candidate to speak to her directly.

“It went down well. The name of every candidate was announced and he was supposed to rise and narrate his preparation for the elections and the problems,” said a BSP leader.

The BSP president emphasised the need for proper coordination between booth committees and the candidates during the election campaign. “The booth committee should be contacted at least five times before the polling date,” she told the candidates.

4 MLAs, 3 MLCs quit House membership to join BSP
Four members of UP Assembly and three members of the state Legislative council on Tuesday tendered their resignations from the membership of the house and joined the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.

Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar has accepted their resignations and Assembly secretariat has issued a notification declaring the four seats as vacant. According to a press release issued by BSP, the MLAs are Dhani Ram Verma and Gauri Shankar of Samajwadi Party, Kadir Rana of Rashtriya Lok Dal and Rajiv Trehan alias Channa of the BJP.