Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief MayawatiTuesday did not hide her ambitions as she urged people to vote for the BSP toensure a pro-poor government.

Addressing an election rally at Kothi Meena Bazar ground here, she ended herspeech minutes before the curtains were drawn on the fourth round of pollingThursday.

"Strengthen our hands and vote for BSP candidates if you want a pro-poorgovernment at the centre," she said in her 45-minute speech.

She said if any one irrespective of background can become a prime minister, whycannot an educated and politically mature Dalit leader become the next primeminister?

She spoke about the party's policies on a range of issues like price rise,poverty, unemployment and job and education reservations.

Mayawati said the Congress-led central government was meting out step-motherlytreatment to Uttar pradesh, which continued to lag behind in development. "Powerhad gone in the hands of wrong people at the centre," she said.