Chennai: Projecting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as the alternative to the Congress and the BJP at the Centre, party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has came down heavily on the two national parties for ''ignoring'' the downtrodden and backward classes.

''It is 60 years since independence and you have been ruled by parties like the Congress, BJP, allied parties and other regional parties. But they have done nothing for the oppressed, downtrodden and economically backward sections,'' she said addressing the party's ''Brotherhood Conference'' in Chennai on Sunday night.

Mayawati said inflation was increasing steadily because of which the poor and the middle class were affected.

''It is because we have been ruled by the Congress or the BJP. Only the BSP can take care of the people, both at the Centre and the state,'' she claimed.

''All these parties have come to power with the support and money extended by businessmen and rich persons and so policies are formulated to benefit them, not the weaker sections or the downtrodden,'' she told a large gathering of BSP supporters.

''Do not vote for these parties at any cost. Vote for the BSP, which can only solve all your problems. This is the only party that does not rely on money from rich people for contesting elections. We won four times in Uttar Pradesh because of the party workers,'' she said.

''We have always been working for the people, maintaining equality and law and order,'' she maintained.

Source : PTI