In A move which may cost the ruling coalition partner BJP dear, UP CM Mayawati is planning to address a joint meeting of BSP and BJP party office-bearers of the district level on September 8, the concluding day of the ongoing session of the Assembly.This is for the first time in the ‘‘coalition era’’ that a functional head of any government will address a joint meeting of workers belonging to two coalition partners.The BJP’s state leaders are in a dilemma now as they cannot afford to oppose the move or keep themselves away from the exercise.‘‘The meeting is bound to cause damage to the BJP ,’’ said a senior party functionary on condition of anonymity.In her third stint as CM Mayawati seems to have ‘‘matured’’ and is taking steps which give the message that for her, BJP leaders have no role to play in running of her government.She recently held a joint meeting of MLAs of the BJP and BSP and even rebuked BJP MLAs who tried to raise their voice against her. The BJP leaders present had no option but to back Mayawati.BJP legislators are already meeting the CM on a one-to-one basis and are happy that their jobs are getting done more quickly as compared to their own government earlier.BJP leaders here are fearful that if this gains ground among party workers at the district level, it will automatically send the message to cadres that Mayawati cares for them while their own party ignores them. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, BJP leader and Deputy PM L.K. Advani have agreed to attend a BSP rally being organised on September 28 to protest against Mulayam Singh Yadav’s remarks describing the Ambedkar Udyan as a ‘‘vice-den’’.
