Mayawati’s touch of caste

The BSP’s victory in the recent state assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh is surprising, notwithstanding the fact that it comes soon...

The BSP’s victory in the recent state assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh is surprising, notwithstanding the fact that it comes soon after the party’s majestic performance in the Zila Panchayat elections. For the first time, upper caste voters have flocked to the BSP’s fold. The changing caste equations are redefining the state’s political landscape. The national parties have been conspicuously unable to retain their hold on upper castes and Brahmins will soon be the first major votebank across the state to shift allegiance to Mayawati unless a major national party is able to make a dent. Brahmins comprise 12-14 per cent of all voters in UP. The total upper-caste votes can prove to be an unbeatable votebank in as much as 177 assembly seats. BSP, it seems, is the only political party well on its way to crack this winning combination.

The credit for changing the mindset of Mayawati and the fortunes of BSP goes to former UP Advocate General Satish Chandra Mishra. He was the mastermind behind the successful June 9th Maha Brahmin rally in Lucknow. Mayawati has highlighted his contribution by sending him to the Rajya Sabha.

It may not be long before Muslims join the Brahmins. The discreet signs are already there announcing Mayawati’s imminent comeback, and not surprisingly, the state’s bureaucrats have grabbed the hints. Senior officials have begun making a beeline to Mayawati’s house in the dead of the night. The next assembly elections, likely about 10 months from now, will be interesting.

Jettisoned holidays

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As many as 1,400 private jets have requested for landing or parking slots on Goa’s solitary airport for the year-end holiday season, lasting barely a week. Last year the number was a relatively paltry 400 private jets, a majority of which were anyway last-minute rebookings after the tsunami. Even then Goa’s airport was stretched to handle so much traffic. But no lesson seems to have been learnt and this month chaos and diversions appear inevitable.

Goa boasts of a large population of foreigners, who have purchased flats and villas in the state and are responsible for the booming real estate market. However, the state offers inadequate infrastructure, its airport being just one example.

Familiar opposition

The government’s decision to cut EPF interest rates is bound to touch many raw nerves in trade unions and political parties across the country. On one hand, the protests are reasonable since the decision affects the lives of millions of employees; on the other, the government cannot afford to ignore interests of other, non-employee citizens. While I genuinely hope the government will talk things over and work towards an amicable resolution, far greater emphasis ought to be placed on mobilising resources for feeding large number of schemes launched by this government for rural people. Thousands of crores are needed for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which ensures 100-day employment for every rural family in 200 districts. Hundreds of crores are needed for urban rehabilitation programmes, aimed at removing jhuggi-jhopdis. A colossal amount is required to revitalise sick PSUs.

The UPA government is now facing the first true test of governance: how to keep different sets of people happy and content.

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The writer is a Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha

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