The realisation that Dalit votes alone cannot help in winning seats may have come a bit too late for the BSP leader ... Mayawati. Her spurning all attempts by the Congress(I) for an electoral alliance in this crucial state much against the wishes of her president Kanshi Ram, may result in a poor performance at the hustings ...

If crowds at election rallies are any indication, the Dalits may be losing charm of the BSP and a section of them may shift their electoral loyalties to the Congress(I) ... A number of Dalit commoners as well as intellectuals feel that it was no use voting for the BSP as it managed to bag only four seats despite securing about 21 per cent votes last time ... Mayawati is making a serious effort to woo the Muslims. She is promising reservation to Muslims if they voted for her party to win sufficient seats to enable it become part of the next government at the Centre...

Describing the BJP as a fascist force, she takes much pride in announcing that it was the BSP which pulled down the BJP-led government recently as a return of the BJP act in pulling her government down in Uttar Pradesh not long ago. Her party would make a tactical move in voters' interest after the elections, Mayawati said, appealing for a vote for the BSP nominee from Meerut-Mawana Lok Sabha seat, Haji Yaqub Qureshi. (Source: The Hindu, 9 September, 1999)