With political parties and leaders rallies cancelling rallies in Gujarat due to cyclone Ockhi and inclement weather conditions. However, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo kept her date with her supporters and braved the rough weather to address a rally in Rajkot on Tuesday.

BJP President Amit Shah and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had cancelled their respective election rallies.

Addressing the rally Mayawati committed to fight the polls for the benefit of the Dalits, Tribals, economically backward and the minorities and reiterated her support to the Patidar reservation agitation.

Mayawati further touched upon the instances of Una attack in Gujarat, Saharanpur violence, and Dalit activist Rohith Vemula’s suicide and shared that these were the main reasons for her to resign from her Rajya Sabha seat.

Mayawati also again brought about the topic of Patidar agitation and her support for the cause. Mayawati said the BJP governments in State and the Center should have handled the issue well but they did not. The anger in the communities seeking reservation apart from the Patidars is all but justified.

The BSP however, has never won a seat in Gujarat in the last three outings in the earlier held state elections. The party has fielded 144 seats out of the 182 seats going to polls. This is also one of the reasons why the Congress is accusing the BSP of benefiting the BJP by making it a three-sided electoral battle, which will only help BJP and cut the anti-BJP votes.

The main resentment being BSP putting up a candidate against young Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani who contesting election from Vadgam and being supported by the Congress Party.

BSP chief Mayawati at the Rajkot rally also demanded reservation for those categorised as economically backward families from upper caste and said that she has written to the government regarding it.

Mayawati also accused the BJP of wooing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) voters during elections, saying that the new stance on the OBC with constitutional status to the backward commission is purely for the vote bank politics and lacks long-term commitment for the betterment of the community.