[ZESTCaste] BSP turns Bangalore blue for Mayawati rally

[Siddhartha Kumar]

http://www.indiblitz.com/index.php/2007/12/22/bsp-turns-bangalore-blue-for-mayawati-rally/

BSP turns Bangalore blue for Mayawati rally

Bangalore, Dec 22 (IANS) India&#39s IT hub has been swamped with
Bahujan Samaj Party&#39s (BSP) blue flags, banners, buntings and
hundreds of cut-outs of party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Mayawati to welcome her to Bangalore for the party&#39s rally Sunday.

The BSP&#39s success in mobilizing huge financial and human resources
for the rally has taken many by surprise as it does not have much of a
presence in Karnataka, party&#39s state unit chief B. Gopal said.


&#39Other parties will get a shock after Sunday&#39s rally. We have
sold 10 million coupons for Rs.1 each to meet the expenses of the
rally,&#39 Gopal told IANS.


&#39We are spending Rs.2 million for the pandal, dais and other
requirements for the rally at the Palace Grounds,&#39 he added.


The palace is about five kilometres form the city centre and is the
political parties&#39 favoured venue for rallies.


&#39Publicity expenses will come to around Rs.1 million and an equal
amount will be spent on food for the party workers who have already
started assembling in the city from various parts of the state,&#39
Gopal said.


The party expects more than 400,000 people to attend the rally.


&#39From Bangalore city alone we expect 100,000 people and from
Bangalore rural district and nearby districts such as Kolar another
100,000. From Mysore and other areas within 150 km from Bangalore, we
expect 150,000 and from far away places in north Karnataka another
100,000,&#39 Gopal said.


Like in Uttar Pradesh, the party is wooing people from all caste
groups in Karnataka.


&#39Brahmana Samudaya (an organization of upper caste Brahmins) has
made arrangements to serve food for several thousands of our workers
and supporters,&#39 he said.


&#39We have already received 100 quintals of food grain, six quintals
of vegetables as donation and expect another six quintals of
vegetables to reach us by Saturday evening,&#39 Gopal said.


The BSP did not win a single seat in the 2004 assembly elections
though it contested all the 224 seats, but it managed to eat into the
vote share of the Congress in several constituencies.


The party plans to field its nominees in all constituencies in the
next polls expected in April/May 2008.


Satish Chandra Mishra, who is credited with rallying Brahmin votes in
Uttar Pradesh for Mayawati in the recent assembly election, will
accompany her for the Bangalore rally, Gopal said.

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