Phones, bags, car keys barred at Mayawati's strategy meet

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday chaired a meeting of her party office bearers, members, legislators and parliamentarians to chalk out their strategy for upcoming by-elections to 11 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The attendees were asked to leave their bags, mobile phones, vehicle keys and any digital devices outside the meeting, which is underway at party headquarters in Lucknow.

Wrapped in yellow chits safeguarded with rubber bands, phones, and car keys were stacked in drawers of tables placed outside the venue. Similarly, bags belonging to party members were marked with papers chits to denote owners.

Senior officials and all members of parliament are present at the meeting along with state presidents from across the country.

Senior leaders Sukhdev Rajbhar, Afzal Ansari, Surendra Bhadoria, Lalji Verma and Nakul Dubey were seen arriving for the meeting.

Mayawati had recently announced her decision to fight the by-elections for 11 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh alone stating that her ally Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party's vote base did not support the coalition in the Lok Sabha elections.

The BSP managed to bag 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, SP won 5 and RLD drew a blank, taking the 'mahagathbandhan' total to 15 -- far behind the BJP's 62.

-ANI