Image conscious: Photos on hoardings can’t be bigger than Mayawati’s, BSP tells party leaders

With 2019 Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has issued a diktat asking party leaders not to put images on hoardings that are bigger than Mayawati’s photograph. The instructions were given to BSP leaders through their party’s zonal coordinators, a report by CNN News 18 has said.

As per the directives, the BSP leaders and probable candidates were asked to put their photos at the bottom corner of the hoardings. They were also asked to carry photos of Dalit icons and party symbols on all advertising and other publicity materials.

Informing this to party workers, MLC and party’s zonal coordinator Bhimrao Ambedkar that since there is no bigger Dalit leader in the country than Maywati, every banner of the party must carry her bigger pictures. He also asked that banners which do not follow such instructions be removed.

Mayawati’s alliance with Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party has turned the tables against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the crucial state where caste matters rule the roost. The consolidation of OBC and SC votes threatens the prospects of the BJP which swept the 2014 Lok Sabha as well as the 2017 UP Assembly elections. UP sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha, the highest in the country.

The alliance has also catapulted Mayawati’s stature given the prospects of the SP-BSP alliance in the state. This, despite the BSP drawing a blank in the 2014 general elections. Much to the dismay of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, even Akhilesh has sought to project Mayawati as the senior partner. When asked if he saw himself in the race for PM’s post, Akhilesh ducked the question but said the Prime Minister will be from Uttar Pradesh.

On Tuesday, the BSP and its grand alliance partners for Uttar Pradesh, RLD and SP finalised seat sharing arrangements. There are 80 lok Sabha seats from the state. While both SP and BSP had earlier decided to contest in 47 and 38 seats respectively, they have left 3 for RLD and 2 for Congress. The latter has of course decided to contest separately alongside Mahan Party for upcoming polls.

Former Uttar Pradesh CM and SP chief Akhilesh yadav on Tuesday had once against reiterated that Congress was still part of the alliance after two seats Raebareli and Amethi were left for the grand old party. Recently, the Congress appointed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia in charge of UP East and West respectively.