Faisal Fareed
Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Aug 26: In a U-turn, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati challenged Team Anna to contest elections. While interacting with newsmen on Friday she retorted that Team Anna should contest coming 2014 Lok Sabha election, win them and get their Lokpal  Bill passed. “The Lokpal bill should be passed within the ambit of constitution. Team Anna should not protest so much and instead take to electoral politics and contest elections,” she said. Mayawati also expressed her reservation regarding the Lokayukta clause in Janlokpal Bill. “Lokayukta should be a state subject and not as proposed by Team Anna that it is appointed by centre,” she said.

This is the third time Mayawati had a change of heart for Anna Hazare’s anti graft stir. In April 2011 she had rebuked the Team Anna and the civil society members when they were part of the joint drafting committee on grounds that there is no representation from dalit and OBC. However on August 17 recently she offered support to Anna Hazare and his movement. Finally on Friday she challenged Anna’s team to contest elections instead of protesting.