Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Why Should Mayawati not become UP CM again

By Dilip Awasthi
Lucknow: For the first time Daulat Queen Mayawati has opted for such a blistering campaign all over, especially on the social media, to stake her claim to power in Uttar Pradesh. She has spent something in the region of Rs 300 crores on her makeover in the media. But rest assured she won't get there and more importantly she should not.

Let's first see why she should not rule UP again. She lasted full five-year term (2007-2012) and built stone monuments in some towns including Lucknow costing the state exchequer Rs 50 lakh of which at least 50% went into her coffers. She claims in her public meetings that law and order situation was much better in her regime compared to the present SP rule.

Debatable but given that it was a shade better but why and at what cost. Starting from her, her ministers, officials including the district magistrates and SPs had all become inaccessible for the common man. There was an impregnable iron curtain between the government and administration. It starts from the top. When the CM does not want to interact with people, his or her officials follow suit. So even if you have to lodge a complaint or FIR where do you go?

Mayawati ruled UP like an autocrat. There was a coterie a couple of BSP leaders and officials around her who would not let anybody get closer to the "Queen". This group completely dominated government political and administrative decisions. There were no interviews for the media and just twice she addressed formal press conferences in the five years. She would say whatever she had to and just get up and go without taking any questions. It was a written monologue and that is all.

January 15 was celebrated virtually as Mayawati would sit on an elevated platform all decked up with diamonds and expensive jewellery on her birthday. A cake equal to her weight was cut and distributed amongst party MPs, MLAs, leaders and officials who had to necessarily come with costly gifts or cash depending on their respective
status. Diamond jewellery used to fall short in supply in Lucknow and around a fortnight before this birthday bash.

Let's now examine how UP progressed in her regime. But for dalit housing, loans and grants, all other developmental schemes came to a standstill. Even roads were built where either BSP leaders or officials lived in Lucknow. The rest of the city commuted in carpet-bombed streets. 

More than a dozen industrial groups either pulled out of UP or slowed down their ongoing projects as for everything palms had to be greased to seek an interview with Mayawati, who in turn made unreasonable demands. Currency counting machines were installed at her residence for the donor's convenience. The most talked about case was that of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Fresh. The group had such a trying experience that it could not return to UP till now. Many big builders just fled from UP during her regime.

Now in the present times, it is a known fact that demonetization has hurt the Daulat Queen the most. The BSP chief reportedly asked her assembly candidates to get Rs 50 lakh old currency notes exchanged into new if they wanted to contest on a BSP ticket. If she gets to power she would be in a much greater hurry to recover her huge "losses" following notebandi. So watch out !!!


#Mayawati, #Uttar Pradesh, #UP elections, #Uttar Pradesh Elecctions, #BSP, #Bahujan Samaj Party

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