Barabanki, June 18 (IANS) Former Uttar Pradesh Minister and Apni Janata Party President Swami Prasad Maurya on Wednesday praised Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, calling her the best Chief Minister the state has seen so far.

Speaking at a press conference at Chauhan Guest House in Barabanki as part of his ongoing ‘Samvidhan Samman aur Janhit Hunkar Yatra’, Maurya mounted an attack on the ruling BJP and also took aim at the Samajwadi Party. However, he reserved his praise for Mayawati, under whose leadership, he said, law and order once set a benchmark not just in the state but across the country.

“If the Chief Ministers from BSP, BJP, and SP are compared, Mayawati clearly stands out. There was a true rule of law during her tenure, which resonated not just in Uttar Pradesh but throughout the country,” Maurya said.

However, he also expressed disappointment over her present-day politics. “She is no longer the same Behenji. She has distanced herself from the ideology of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, and in turn, the people have distanced themselves from her,” he remarked.

Swami Prasad Maurya, who has switched between major parties like the BJP, BSP, and SP, now heads his own outfit — Apni Janata Party.

At the press conference, he made it clear that his party is gearing up for an aggressive electoral push.

Maurya announced that in the upcoming district panchayat elections, party workers would have a free hand in selecting candidates. He also revealed that Apni Janata Party is preparing to contest all 403 seats in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

“Our aim is not just to contest, but to liberate UP from the BJP’s grip. If needed, we are open to forming alliances with any party committed to defeating the BJP,” he asserted.

Currently, Maurya is undertaking the ‘Samvidhan Samman aur Janhit Hunkar Yatra’, a statewide campaign to raise awareness about social justice, public welfare, and the protection of the Constitution.

“This yatra, to expose the anti-people, casteist and communal policies of the BJP government, will continue until the BJP is ousted,” Maurya said.

Earlier, Maurya received a rousing reception from his supporters upon arriving in Barabanki. He thanked the gathering and reiterated his commitment to fight for the marginalised and oppressed sections of society.

–IANS

skp/uk