Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati today urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to direct the central government not to present the Union Budget on February 1 and to wait until elections in all five states end on March 8.
The budget announcements, she said, can influence the voters and take away the level playing field.
Mayawati’s reaction comes immediately after the ECI announced seven-phase polling in the state.
The central government has decided to advance the Budget Session of Parliament to the last week of January. According to PTI, the first part of the Budget Session will commence on January 31 with Presidential Address and Economic Survey. The Budget for next fiscal will be tabled on February 1.
The Budget Session is normally convened in the last week of February but this year the government has convened the longest session of Parliament in the last week of January.
The four-time CM of the most populous state further said that her party will contest assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand on its own.
“This was being done so as not to compromise the interests of the Bahujan movement,” she said.
She also demanded a larger presence of paramilitary forces and a tight vigil on the working of state government officials and police force in the states.
On Election Commission’s decision to hold seven-phase polling, she said, “We welcome the seven-phase polling to the Uttar Pradesh assembly.”
The BSP has 80 MLAs in 403-chair House.
As per the schedule announced buy the Election Commission, Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held between February 11 and March 8. The seven-phased polls for 403 constituencies will be held on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8. Counting of votes will be held on March 11.
