There is no denying that Mayawati has caught the imagination of different caste and communities in Uttar Pradesh with her strategic shift in ideologies from Dalit issues to assimilate other groups.
The lady rules the state with an iron hand and no one dares to speak against her within the party. What Mayawati wants, she gets. There is no other argument in the party and no one is allowed to meet the press. If you do that you are out of the BSP.
If other party offices are busy with election activities, the BSP party's head office in Lucknow is silent. There is a deserted look and only two to three people are around.
Says one BSP leader on condition of anonymity, "Actually, the journalists of Uttar Pradesh don't like her so they write wrong things about her. Therefore, Behenji (Mayawati) addresses the press on her own and does not allow anyone else with the exception of Babusingh Khushwaha, who is the so-called spokesperson of the party."
"Even the press notes have no name or address on it. Except the name of the party there is no other name," says another BSP leader. "We are not allowed to do that."
Asked what makes Mayawati so popular? Achal Mehrotra, a BSP leader from Lucknow says, "Her policies."
When asked to elaborate how different they are from other leaders, Mehrotra says, "I was a Congressman for 20 years. Two years ago I realised that the Congress has done nothing for Uttar Pradesh in the 50 years of their rule."
"The Congress has developed only two constituencies in Uttar Pradesh -- Amethi and Rae Bareli," he says. "Go to any part of Uttar Pradesh and you will see those places are undeveloped."
Image: A Buddha statue in Lucknow.
Also see: Mayawati's jalwa in Laloo land | India Votes 2009
Advertisement
