Mayawati in Pink

(Published in Banking Services Chronicle July 2007)

Mayawati is in the pink of health. As pink as a rose in full bloom. The smile on her face betrays the confidence of a conqueror. And why not? Her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has scored a double century to see her safely in the saddle. This is for the first time in 16 years in the history of Uttar Pradesh that any single party has obtained a clear majority in the Assembly.

The conquest started right from the day when Mayawati showed that she had the will to win. She was undeterred even if the poll pundits shied away from giving her a clear majority. By now she has the maturity to have her way irrespective of what the critics say.

In fact, the iron lady is known for her focussed and fearless approach. Just look at the way she announced all 403 candidates in one go while her opponents declared the names of the candidates piecemeal. Since she had well begun like that, it was already half done.

However, confidence alone does not spell success. In a multipolar contest like the one in Uttar Pradesh, electoral combinations can and do make a huge difference. The shrewd calculator in Mayawati realised this and she made tactful political moves. She understood that Dalits alone could not raise her to power. So she made the so-called “BDM experiment” — taking the support of Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims. The strategy that had paid off so well for the Congress of the yore did the trick for Mayawati too.

Now that Mayawati has passed the entrance test with excellent results, the challenge lies in what she can do for her state that is mired in backwardness. She has often proved that she can be a tough taskmaster. Combining this quality with the clear mandate she has in her fourth term as chief minister, she can do wonders if she has a vision for the largest state of the country. But for this she will have to steer clear of any political vendetta.

Hope Maya ki maya works and paints Uttar Pradesh in the colour of her choice — pink.