Mayawati suffering from political depression, says Dinesh Sharma

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said BSP president Mayawati is suffering from "political depression" as she fears defeat of her party's candidates in the general election under way and as a result, she is losing her temper and patience. Sharma claimed Mayawati is showing weakness and her memory is fading.

"All these symptoms are clearly visible in the statements of the BSP supremo," he told PTI in an interview. He said the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo needed a "political health tonic".

Mayawati, who is leading the BSP-SP-RLD alliance in UP with Akhilesh Yadav, has regularly hit out at the BJP on Twitter and in campaign rallies, claiming that its government at the Centre is "autocratic" and has resorted to various means to "scare" senior leaders of the opposition parties.

She has said the Centre "badly failed" to tackle issues like terrorism and naxalism. Ahead of the second phase of the seven-phase poll, the BSP chief was banned for 48 hours from campaigning by the Election Commission for violating the moral code of conduct.

Three others, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, were also banned for varying periods over similar reasons. Shortly after the ban ended on April 18, Mayawati lashed out at BJP and its leaders for levelling "unfounded" charges on opposition parties, including the allegation they were abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP is facing a challenge from the alliance in Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest number of Lok Sabha seats, 80, compared to any other state. "BSP chief Mayawati is suffering from political depression (rajnaitik avsaad), which stems from the fact that her party fared badly in the past five phases in the state, and defeat of BSP candidates is imminent in the last two phases. It's the same with her alliance partners," Sharma said.

He claimed the symptoms of her "depression" will become more evident in coming days and she will make "anaap, shanaap" (loose) remarks. "It is for this reason that she is calling the prime minister a 'fake backward'. She must revamp her memory, and for this she needs a political health tonic," the deputy chief minister said. Asked what he meant by "political health tonic", Sharma said, "Once dignity, transparency and uprightness are adopted, it will work as a political health tonic (for her). By using undignified words, the political health will certainly not improve."

Mayawati has raised doubts on the caste of the prime minister, alleging he is a "farzi backward" - a fake OBC leader. Modi has responded saying he belongs to caste of all the poor in the country.

On Sunday, a full-scale war of words broke out between Mayawati and Modi over the gangrape of a Dalit girl in Rajasthan's Alwar. The prime minister accused the BSP chief of shedding "crocodile tears" and asked her to withdraw support to the Congress government in Rajasthan if she cared for Dalits. Mayawati hit back, calling Modi's statements on the gangrape incident "dirty politics" and demanded him to resign taking responsibility for atrocities on Dalits during his rule.

Sharma, however, said the way Prime Minister Modi has worked to uplift the Dalit community, backward classes, the oppressed and deprived sections, "has instilled fear in Mayawati."

"The BSP government (in UP) had done nothing for the welfare of the common man... It is the Modi government, which is developing the Panch Teerth (to honour B R Ambedkar)," he said. Sharma said Mayawati pretended to be a Dalit, but she did nothing to uplift the community. Inhone Dalit hone ka sirf dhong kiya hai, he said.

"It was the Modi government, which for the first time allocated over 75 per cent of its budget for the poor, farmers, backward classes and Dalits. This is the reason for her nervousness," he added. Sharma said the chiefs of BSP and SP, who gave themselves "certificates" for being concerned about Dalits and backward classes, have been rejected by people, who consider Modi "pramaanik" (authentic).

"These people (opposition parties) divide society on the lines of caste, creed and religion. PM Modi believes in the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas," Sharma said.

"The cries of the opposition will only grow in the days to come. Their statements will become bitter, and after electoral loss, their statements will touch the sky."