100 days 038; a 145;Maya146; called development

It8217;s not always that a majority Government finds itself on a sticky wicket. Mayawati8217;s reign started off with a bang with her Government announcing a slew of policy...

It8217;s not always that a majority Government finds itself on a sticky wicket. Mayawati8217;s reign started off with a bang with her Government announcing a slew of policy decisions within the first 100 days.

But her agricultural policy has undone most of this. Unsure how the farmers will be linked to the corporate investors and unable to convince agriculturists that the policy was in their interest, Mayawati has now backtracked from her decision to attract corporate investors in the agricultural sector. This flip-flop has put a question mark on her other promises.

For instance, the first few days were just what Mayawati had promised. The BSP had romped home in the Assembly elections promising to end the 8220;gundaraj8221; spread by Mulayam Singh Yadav8217;s supporters. On August 22, when the Mayawati Government completed 100 days in power, the Chief Minister claimed the cases of kidnapping had come down by 74 per cent while cases of robbery and dacoity had reduced by 46 and 36 per cent, respectively. All impressive figures.

Maya8217;s message was loud and clear, especially when she cracked the whip against her MP Uma Kant Yadav along with Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmad and Independent MLA Raja Bhaiyya. There was even a decline in the number of Scorpios and Boleros bearing the SP flag on the roads.

But the state isn8217;t really heading towards development. Spending crores of rupees on reconstruction of the Ambedkar Park and Government bungalows is anything but development. The CM has not yet announced new industries or infrastructure to attract investors. It also seems she has no plans of improving the condition of roads.

8220;It is true that she is bold at one point and shaky the very next moment. The withdrawal of the Agricultural Policy has proved this,8221; said Ashutosh Mishra, a Reader of Political Science at Lucknow University. 8220;She does not waste time evolving a development model because her supporters do not demand any such thing. She will just come out with more decisions, plans and announcements,8221; said Pramod Kumar of Lucknow University.