Will Mayawati be the next PM of India?

Who will be the next PM? While political analysts believe that BSP could emerge as a major player in the next Lok Sabha. While hopes of Mayawati becoming the next PM is high; she needs to clear her image before becoming the leader of the nation..

AFTER MANMOHAN who? This is the question on everybody’s lips right now. Speculations are rife in the political circle about the possible alternative in case the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) fails to win the trust vote on July 22. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made it clear that it would prefer general elections rather than heading any sort of temporary alliance. Well, it won’t mind a Prime Minister (PM) from parties other than Congress for a short stint of one year. With leaders of various political parties working on to create alliances, the vote of confidence could result in re-alignments not just at the centre but also in the states. The only leader left is Mayawati, who can be considered for the PM post. In politics, such possibilities do happen.

Among other regional parties, the Telugu Desam has come up with an idea of supporting the proposal for making Mayawati the next PM of India. Telangana Rashtra Samiti’s (TRS) also supported this move. Many of her political friends believe she is prime ministerial material. Given her meteoritic rise in recent times, Mayawati can be the woman of the moment. As political analysts feel that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) may emerge as a major player in the next Lok Sabha, the elevation of its chief to the PM’s post is very much on the cards. The national Democratic Alliance (NDA) and UPA along with other smaller parties will lend support to Mayawati if she is chosen to head the government at the centre.

If selected, Mayawati, one of the most maverick politicians and chief minister of India’s largest state with a population of 160 million people, would be the first Dalit PM of India. On the national politics, only late Jagjiwan Ram got the honour of reaching to thepost of deputy PM of India during Janta Party’s regime. In recent times, Mayawati or ’behenji’ as she is called has emerged as the most influential low-caste politician in India’s history. Whether she will become the PM remains to be seen. But her importance in the current political imbroglio can not be denied.

With her resounding victory in the last Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP) in 2007, Mayawati stunned all political pundits and defeated all major opponents, shaking up the country’s traditional political order, which has been dominated by upper caste inclination. Her triumph is the victory of democracy though her critics especially Mulayam Singh Yadav rates her as crude politician. Of late, she has been accused of corruption because of her unprecedented wealth.

As a vital ally, Mayawati’s BSP can play a crucial role in government formation at the centre, and as she is bent on voting against the motion, BJP and other allies who are opposed to Manmonah Singh’s N-deal may prove to be decisive. Since Samajwadi Party (SP) came to the rescue of Mayawati, the UP CM has sharpened her attacks on Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav. She is not sparing Congress Party leaders as well; especially, her target of attack has been Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Nehru dynasty, for touring UP villages and eating and sleeping in low-caste homes. In Rahul’s growing bonhomie with Dalits, she sees the erosion of her Dalit votes.

Corruption is in fact the most serious criticism against Mayawati. The latest accusations surfaced this month when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plans to go ahead with the probe regarding the disproportionate wealth that she has accumulated. Her wealth just a year ago was four crore, which increased to 52 crore! She has a villa in the elite diplomatic enclave of New Delhi, and about five crore in bank accounts. Though Mayawati promptly denied the charges as politically motivated, she has to come clean if she is to be selected for the PM post. Just wait and watch out. source: http://india.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=137819

More Muslim MPs against UPA

Rebel SP MP to vote against UPA, claims support of seven more
New Delhi, July 18 (PTI) Rebel Samajwadi Party MP Munnawar Hasan today announced that he would defy the party whip and vote against the UPA government on July 22."I will defy the party whip and vote against the UPA government on nuclear deal during the confidence vote on July 22. I have support of around seven party MPs. The deal is anti-Muslim and we are against it more so because it is being promoted by the US, which is an anti-Muslim country," Hasan told reporters here.The Muzaffarnagar MP, who has been offered a ticket for the next general election by the BSP, said that he has not formally joined Mayawati but would do so after July 22."Once me and my other fellow MPs defy the SP whip, then we will join BSP," Hasan said.He claimed that he was persistently being wooed by "various people" to vote in favour of the UPA government. "In fact on July 10, one Rupesh Kumar who identified himself as a chartered accountant of a company, offered me a bribe of Rs 25 crore to vote in favour of the government," the MP claimed.When asked as to why he did not register a complaint against the person or inform BSP supremo Mayawati about it, Munnawar said he found the media an appropriate outlet to disclose this information.Though he avoided uttering anything against SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Munnawar said the SP's Muslim votebank had "slipped" and many of its MPs, who did not turn up for the Parliamentary Party meeting held earlier today, were against the deal."In fact some Congress MPs too are in touch with me while SP MPs like Raj Narayan Budholiya and Jai Prakash Rawat are already with us," he claimed. PTI

Maya stands to gain : Ajoy Bose

The break-up between the Left and the Congress, forcing the latter to join hands with the Samajwadi Party before facing a trust vote, has come as a shot in the arm for the Bahujan Samaj Party. Irrespective of the outcome, Mayawati will have reason to smile

The fates appear to be conspiring with each other to give Mayawati a larger-than-life national profile just when she needed it in the lead up to the next general election. One palpable outcome of the crisis engulfing the UPA Government after the withdrawal of support by the Left is the way it has catapulted the BSP supremo to political centrestage. Almost overnight, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has become the crucial lynchpin whose success or failure in influencing the trust vote in Parliament on July 22 can decide who gets to occupy the throne of Delhi.

This is a quantum leap forward for a leader who remained a regional phenomenon even after her spectacular victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll last year. It is true Ms Mayawati's potential as the most promising leader of the future had already started casting a long shadow on Indian politics. But until now she has had a marginal role to play in operative national politics dominated as it has been by the Congress, the BJP and the Left.

An extraordinary turn of events has ended this marginalisation in barely a week. Even as the Left seemed bamboozled at the defection of its staunch ally, the Samajwadi Party, to the Congress, and the BJP remained torn between gloating over the plight of the Left and worrying whether this gave the UPA a huge political leg-up, it was Ms Mayawati who changed the dynamics of the political situation with reports that the BSP had managed to poach some of the Samajwadi Party MPs who felt that they had better prospects by going with Behenji rather than Netaji (Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav). Although the number of confirmed defectors from the Samajwadi Party to the BSP is so far only three, the entire contour of the numbers game has been changed because nobody knows how many from the Samajwadi Party and perhaps even the Congress, the BSP supremo can ultimately wean away.

In a further boost to Ms Mayawati's stature, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat himself drove down to her residence to publicly declare an alliance to topple the UPA Government. This has been followed by discussions on the phone by her with Telugu Dasam leader Chandrababu Naidu as well as Telengana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). Mr Naidu is expected to meet the BSP leader this weekend and she may even attend and address the UNPA meeting, an indication of her growing clout within the national Opposition.

For a leader who has so far had little do with regional parties with the BSP always determinedly staying away from any Third Front formation or national party-led coalition, this political interaction is of enormous significance. If the Opposition does manage to pull down the UPA Government in the trust vote, Ms Mayawati would soar into a different orbit and she would undoubtedly emerge as the main political victor of the battle while Mr Prakash Karat can at best claim a pyrrhic victory in the spat over the India-US nuclear deal. Indeed, a defeat on the floor of the Lok Sabha could trigger a major revolt within both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, resulting in massive defections to the BSP not just in Uttar Pradesh but in many other States as well.

For Ms Mayawati, such a denouement of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party on the eve of the general election is precisely the kind of tail wind she requires to make a serious bid for power at the Centre. Her critical role in toppling the UPA regime cannot but have a huge impact on voters across the country in an election held within a few months at the end of the year. In many ways, this would largely overcome the BSP leader's handicap of being a dominant force so far only in Uttar Pradesh.

The survival of the Manmohan Singh Government in the trust vote would of course mean a temporary setback to Ms Mayawati. It could also bring in its wake considerable personal harassment in the shape of a vigorous pursuit by the CBI of the disproportionate assets case against her. There is little doubt that both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party would have a common interest in cornering her.

Yet, even if she loses her bid to oust the current regime, the central role being played by the BSP leader in the Opposition campaign to unseat the Manmohan Singh Government will be a major political asset to her. She has already managed to get support from virtually every single party in the Opposition, including the NDA, Left and the UNPA, on the fresh CBI bid to prosecute her. This would have been unimaginable even a few weeks ago.

The fact of the matter is whether she succeeds in toppling the Government or not this time, Ms Mayawati has already acquired the reputation of a major national player who holds the key to the future of Indian politics. Her new found stature with regional parties and the Left, along with her old contacts in the BJP and the RSS, provides her a huge number of options that will come in very useful after the next Lok Sabha election whenever it is held -- whether at the end of this year or in the early summer of 2009. It is highly doubtful whether the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh or the Congress in the country can change political logic at the grassroots level regardless of what happens in the trust vote.

Finally, one should not underestimate the reaction of Dalit voters across the country to television images of Ms Mayawati leading the current conflict against the UPA regime. Already an icon, particularly among young Dalits beyond Uttar Pradesh, the more the BSP leader steps out of her State to do battle, the more she and her party gains ground within her core constituency across India. Considering that Congress is heavily dependent on the Dalit vote in many States in the country, this spells trouble for that party in the next election even as it promises to make Ms Mayawati a potent nationwide force. source: http://www.dailypioneer.com

Cong MP from Haryana attacks UPA, hints at voting against govt

New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) In more bad news for the UPA, Congress MP from Haryana Arvind Sharma today attacked his party and the Manmohan Singh government for "targeting" BSP chief Mayawati and indicated that he may vote against the ruling coalition in the July 22 trust vote.Criticising the Congress for cosying up with Samajwadi Party, the 45-year-old dentist-turned-MP from Karnal said he was "pained" at seeing the "falling standards" of his party."The government is succumbing to the pressure of Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh which is not acceptable," Sharma told reporters here.He said the Government was using the CBI to target "popular Dalit leader" and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at the behest of the SP leaders to remain in power."We are witnessing worst days of political bargaining in the country's democratic history," Sharma, who is also member of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, said.In an indication of his closeness with Mayawati, Sharma said by targeting the UP Chief Minister, the Government has insulted the Dalits, minorities and people of Uttar Pradesh.Asked whether his outburst against the party and the government was an indication that he may vote against the government on July 22, the Congress MP evaded a direct reply and said he was not leaving the party.Sharma said the people of his constituency are "unhappy" with the decisions taken by his party leadership which is forcing him to "rethink" about his future course of action.There were reports that BJP was trying to rope in some MPs from Congress in Karnataka on promise of tickets in the next Lok Sabha elections. PTI

Beleaguered UPA govt

Beleaguered UPA govt

Tile UPA Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh is heading for an uncertain future with stalemate on the Indo-US nuclear deal due to unrelenting opposition to the deal by the Left parties on one hand and the Prime Minister’s keen desire to complete its business with the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) for country’s credibility, soaring thirteen year high inflation of 11.05 per cent and withdrawal of support to the UPA government by Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party on the other. Dr Manmohan Singh has expressed his desire to quit if he could not carry the UPA alliance with him to negotiate the India-Specific safeguard with the IAEA,a necessary step to conclude the Indo-US nuclear deal. The Left parties have threatened to withdraw support to the Government in case the Government go ahead with negotiation with the IAEA in spite of its opposition to the move. The Left parties’ objection to the Indo-US nuclear deal was mainly on the ground that such a deal would lead to strategic partnership between India and US and tilt India’s foreign policy towards US whereas the UPA Government and the top nuclear scientists feel that Indo-US nuclear deal was essential for ending India’s nuclear isolation and meet India’s future requirement of energy through nuclear power plants. Even China and Russia have entered into such 123 agreements. The Left parties have made it known that their stand is non-negotiable and they would withdraw support if the UPA Government proceeds with IAEA negotiation.Desperate attempts by the UPA allies like the NCP,RJD,DMK to break the impasse and save the UPA Government from falling, are going on in New Delhi. Mayawati’s withdrawal of support would not reduce the UPA alliance to a minority at present. The Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav is inching closer to the Congress and likely to fill the gap with 39 MPs.Except the BJP,no other political party would like to have election sooner than scheduled. The CPI(M) general secretary,Prakash Karat has met the DMK leader M.Karunanidhi and requested him to mediate and resolve the impasse.The veteran politician did not want any disruption in the unity among UPA allies that would help communal forces. All the allies of the UPA are against election when the inflation has crossed two digits and likely to move up further prices of essential commodities beyond the reach of common people. They are pressing Sonia Gandhi to save the situation by advising the Prime Minister to go slow with the IAEA.The crucial UPA-Left coordination meeting to be held today will show whether reconciliation of the irreconcilable has taken place or the country goes to early polls. Source: assam tribune editorial

Mayawati withdraws support to UPA government

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has withdrawn her party's support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

The BSP has 17 members in the Lok Sabha, which has an effective strength of 543. The UPA currently has the support of 220 members. The Left parties, which have 59 lawmakers as a block, extend outside support to the government.

Mayawati has accused the UPA of neglecting Uttar Pradesh and meting out step-motherly treatment to her party and the UP government.

The BSP supremo sent a letter, stating her withdrawal of support, to President Pratibha Patil and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Mayawati added that she will not enter into any electoral alliance with either the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party.Mayawati displayed copies of the letter she had written to President Patil, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Vice President Mohammad Ansari and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.She charged both Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation and attempting to implicate her in the Taj Corridor case. She accused the Congress of only making false promises. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister said Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal regions had witnessed unprecedented drought, but the Union government did not do anything besides making false promises. "I personally met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and asked him to give an economic package of Rs 88,000 crore and he promised to do something about it. Till date, nothing had been done," she said. PTI adds:

Similarly, she dismissed another question that whether she took this decision because of the reported warming up of ties between SP and Congress, she said both were down and out in Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati said she had given an open warning to the UPA in January this year that BSP would withdraw support if the Congress-led coalition 'did not mend its ways' and change its step-motherly attitude towards the state government.

The chief minister said though she had expected that the Congress would stop attacking her and her party for its own political interest, there was no change in the party's attitude.

She said that when the Congress-led coalition replaced NDA, headed by BJP, at the Centre, she had expected that the government would ensure that she gets justice in the Taj Corridor and other related issues.

"But unfortunately Congress proved worse than BJP as instead of ensuring justice, Congress has kept the matter hanging during the last four years for its own political interest," she said.

Mayawati alleged that when her party refused to enter into an electoral alliance with the BJP at the Centre prior to the previous Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party 'falsely implicated' her in the Taj Corridor case to exert pressure.

She also accused the previous NDA government of misusing the CBI and filing a disproportionate assets case against her to tarnish her and her party's image. Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jun/21maya.htm