28

Aug

Mayawati launches surprise attack on Opposition Alliance

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Dr Satish Misra

New Delhi | Wednesday | 28 August 2024

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and former four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati, has recently become more active on social media in an apparent attempt to stay politically relevant. In a surprising move,  obviously under increasing pressure from the BJP leadership,  Mayawati has launched sharp attacks on  the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress. For obvious reasons she has   remained  soft on the ruling BJP governments both at the Centre and in the  state.

Mayawati’s attacks on the Congress and the Samajvadi Party of Akhlesh Yadav can be easy to understand in the background of the fact that  by elections to 10 vidhan sabha seats in U.P are to be held any time and these elections are very crucial for BJP whose fortunes are dwindling since the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections in June last.   

In a series of tweets on Monday, Mayawati dismissed any notion of her retiring from active politics, reaffirming her dedication to the Dalit movement. She declared her lifelong commitment to the cause championed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, the founder of the BSP. "Like Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshiram ji, I have decided to remain dedicated to the self-respect and movement of BSP till the last breath of my life in order to thwart the conspiracies of opponents, who are trying to weaken the Ambedkarite caravan of the Bahujans,” she tweeted, firmly ruling out any retirement plans.

 

Article at a Glance
Mayawati, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, has taken to social media to remain politically relevant. Under pressure from the BJP leadership, she has launched a tirade against the SP-Congress alliance while being kind to the ruling dispensation.
Mayawati has ruled out retirement from active politics, stating she will remain dedicated to the Dalit movement till her last breath. Her tweets need to be understood in the context of the upcoming assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, which are crucial for the BJP's image.
Mayawati has praised the BJP for saving her life in the 1995 Lucknow guest house incident and attacked the Congress over SC-ST reservation. Her desperation to remain relevant is evident, but her strategy may not yield the desired results.

 

She added that the rumors of her retirement are unfounded, a claim that contrasts with the reality that she rarely makes public appearances outside her residence in Lucknow. Nevertheless, Mayawati’s sudden social media activity comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for assembly by-elections in 10 seats, a significant test for both the BJP and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Mayawati’s BSP has seen a steady decline in its electoral support in recent years, as evidenced by the party’s dismal performance in both parliamentary and state assembly elections. Despite this, the votes her party receives often work in the BJP's favor, as they cut into the vote shares of opposition parties, particularly the SP and Congress. A case in point is the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where Mayawati allegedly changed candidates in several constituencies at the request of the BJP high command, helping the BJP win by small margins.

Mayawati’s critics argue that her actions, both now and in the past, indirectly benefit the BJP, a party she has occasionally praised, despite ideological differences. These accusations gain further weight when considering her response to the infamous 1995 Lucknow guest house incident.

In one of her recent statements, Mayawati expressed gratitude towards the BJP for saving her life during the 1995 guest house incident, where workers from the SP had allegedly attacked her. She criticized the Congress for its silence during this event, pointing out that the Congress-led central government at the time failed to take timely action. Mayawati remarked, “The SP had carried out a deadly attack on me on 2 June 1995 after BSP withdrew its support, then why does Congress never speak on this? Whereas the Congress government, which was at the Centre during that time, also did not fulfill its responsibility on time.”

She elaborated further, claiming that the Congress’s intention was to impose President’s Rule in Uttar Pradesh to control the state from behind the scenes. However, the BSP thwarted these plans, and it was the opposition, including the BJP, that stepped in on humanitarian grounds to protect her from SP’s criminal elements.

In addition to revisiting past events, Mayawati has been vocal about the need for a caste census in India. She has consistently put pressure on both Congress and BJP to conduct the caste census, asserting that it is essential for ensuring the rights of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). While BSP has supported the caste census for years, Mayawati questioned whether Congress would be able to deliver on its promises to these communities.

She also criticized Congress for its handling of SC-ST reservations, accusing it of failing to address key issues like classification and the creamy layer within SC-ST reservations. “Those who are still silent regarding classification and creamy layer in SC/ST reservation, please answer,” Mayawati demanded.

Mayawati's relationship with SP and Congress has grown increasingly strained over the years. On Sunday, she accused both parties of being anti-reservation and ruled out any potential alliances with them in the future. Her stand remains consistent with her previous statements, where she has voiced concerns about both parties’ commitment to the welfare of marginalized communities.

Interestingly, despite this, she had recently thanked SP leader Akhilesh Yadav for supporting her against a statement made by a BJP MLA. Nevertheless, she remains critical of Congress, accusing them of failing to conduct a caste census while in power and not giving due recognition to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar during his lifetime.

Mayawati’s renewed activity on social media and her sharp criticisms of SP and Congress appear to be part of a broader strategy to maintain her relevance in the rapidly evolving political landscape of Uttar Pradesh. However, her soft stance towards the BJP, coupled with her past actions, has led to speculations that her political maneuvers might be indirectly aiding the ruling party. Whether Mayawati’s efforts to revive the fortunes of the BSP will succeed remains to be seen, but her unyielding commitment to the Dalit movement and her refusal to retire from politics ensure that she will continue to be a prominent figure in Uttar Pradesh’s political arena.

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