Mayawati slams Congress over minority reservation issue

Allahabad/ Kanpur, Feb 10 (ANI): Slamming the Congress party over the minority reservation issue, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has termed the move a political gimmick and asked people to be wary of the party.

"It is under a conspiracy that the Congress party is trying to woo Muslim voters by giving them increased reservation of nine percent by chopping it from the existing the 27 percent quota meant for the backward classes. This is nothing but a deliberate attempt to create a divide amongst the two sections of people," Mayawati told a gathering here.

She also slammed her rival political parties for constantly conspiring against the state government.

"Since our party has come to power in the state, all regional opposition parties have been conspiring in order to taint the image of the state government by levelling false charges against us," said Mayawati.

Meanwhile in Kanpur, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that the next Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister will be from the Congress whose "remote will be in Rahulji's hands."

"The Congress Party is completely a democratic party. All our chief ministers use their intelligence while speaking. It is certain that only that person would become the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh who has the blessings of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi," said Tiwari.

An impressive 62 to 64 percent voter turnout was recorded on Wednesday registered in the first phase of assembly elections for 55 seats.

The Uttar Pradesh polls are being viewed as an opportunity for major parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)