Exercise right to vote to elect 'pro-Bahujan' govt, says Mayawati in appeal to voters

Lucknow: On the eve of polling for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday appealed to people to exercise their right to vote and elect a "pro-Bahujan" government.

In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the right to vote is a "democratic power to obtain the master key to power" which will enable the poor, weak and neglected people to uplift themselves.

"A strong appeal to you to elect a pro-Bahujan government for the poor, the working class and the deprived by fearlessly using your valuable constitutional right to vote in the first round of polling for the seven-phase elections for the 18th Lok Sabha," Mayawati said in a post in Hindi.

1. देश में 18वीं लोकसभा हेतु सात चरणों में हो रहे आमचुनाव में कल मतदान के पहले चरण से ही, ’पहले मतदान, फिर जलपान’ के संकल्प के साथ अपने वोट के बहुमूल्य संवैधानिक अधिकार का निर्भय होकर इस्तेमाल करके देश में ग़रीबों, मेहनतकशों, वंचितों की बहुजन-हितैषी सरकार चुनें, यही पुरज़ोर अपील।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) April 18, 2024

She also asked voters to ensure that their votes are not "misused" in the name of temple-mosque or bought using money power.

"It is necessary to prevent the misuse of government machinery and violation of the model code of conduct by the ruling party," she added.

Polling will be held in Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

The counting of votes for all seven phases of the elections will be taken up on June 4.