Losing vote-bank, Mayawati trains guns on opponents

Once perceived as the strongest champion of Dalits, the BSP now has competition in the form of not only Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s new party, the Jana Shakti, but also other political figures. No wonder, then, that Mayawati spews venom at politicians who claim to work for Dalits and their welfare. Her latest target is obviously Paswan, who has got a shot in his arm in UP with the Rajaram faction of the Janata Dal merging with the Jana Shakti.

In all her public meetings these days, she urges the Pasi community not to support Paswan as he belongs to Dussadh caste of Bihar and is not a Pasi. She has also resented the release of stamps in the name of Bijli Pasi and the demand put up by Paswan to install statues of Uda Devi and Bijli Pasi.

Paswan’s increasing influence in UP,has become a serious cause of concern for Mayawati as Lucknow, Kanpur, Itawa, Fatehpur, Sitapur, Bahraich, Faizabad, Lakhimpur, Unnao, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh and Gorakhpur districts are all strongholds of the Pasi community and their votes wil make a major difference in who wins from these constituencies.

Interestingly, Mayawati had launched similar tirade against former state governor Suraj Bhan when he began pursuing the Dalit agenda and her attack against him continued till he was transferred to Himachal Pradesh.

Mayawati also did not seem pleased when Bangaru Laxman — also a Dalit — became BJP chief: he belongs to the Balmiki community. She reportedly went on to pass some objectionable remarks against him which were much resented by the Balmiki community of the state. At many places, Balmikis burnt her effigies and political observers say Mayawati has lost their support altogether.

Recently, she had also lashed out at Sonia Gandhi when the Congress president had claimed that it was Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru who had helped Babasaheb Ambedkar become a member of the Constituent Assembly and write the Constitution. Mayawati had retorted that it was the Dalits of Khulna and the Britishers who forced Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru to ensure a berth for Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly.

But for now, Paswan remains Mayawati’s main problem. He has succeeded in wooing away Dalits, especially Pasis, from Mayawati’s BSP if the crowd gathered at his October rally is any indicator. The merger of the Janata Dal (R) comprising three MLAs who are presently ministers in the BJP-led government in the state, has only helped Paswan further establish his new party in UP. The BJP too is wholeheartedly supporting Paswan’s bid to dent the BSP’s vote-bank as the split in the vote-bank can go in its favour. Thanks to the division of Muslim votes among the Samajwadi Party, the BSP and the Congress in the recent urban local bodies’ poll, the BJP had managed a face-saving performance.

With an eye on the coming Assembly elections, the BJP is ready to help all those who can dent the traditional vote-banks of the SP, BSP and the Congress. It has announced sops in an attempt to wean away Banias, farmers and teachers who presently support parties other than the BJP.