Transgender BSP activist alleges being denied ticket

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 26

A transgender social activist from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has alleged that the party denied her ticket for municipal elections as she was a eunuch and could not pay Rs 50 lakh for the ticket.

Gearing to contest the MCD polls with the support of All India Forward Bloc now, the third gender activist, Bobby, claimed that she was associated with the BSP for past two years and had asked for ticket from the BSP to contest MCD elections from Sultanpuri ward.

“I was refused the ticket by party leaders on the grounds of being a eunuch. Money was asked from me to get the ticket. And because I did not have Rs 50 lakh for ticket they denied support and gave ticket to another male candidate,” Bobby alleged.

Bobby, who is said to have worked for the transgender society and widows, will now contest on Lion symbol from Forward Bloc, also confirmed by the party, from Sultanpuri ward and raise issues of gender equality.

In response to allegations, BSP in-charge Dharamveer Ashok refuted saying, “Anyone who is denied ticket will obviously make such allegations. There were so many contenders for the same seat and we gave the ticket to the deserving one.”

The BSP, which had won 15 seats in the past Delhi Municipal elections in 2012, is likely to field candidates from 225 seats this time and of which 140 have already declared.

The party despite its unsatisfactory show in recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls hopes to improve its performance in the national capital which is expected to see a tough fight for electing 272 councillors on April 23 with the Janat Dal United and Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India also plunging in the elections besides the BJP, the Congress and the AAP.