NEW DELHI – UPA’s choice of Rajya Sabha to move the ‘promotion quota’ bill will showcase Mayawati as the premier dalit voice, handing the credit for reservation initiative to the BSP supremo on a platter.
Whether or not quota move materializes in Coalgate-triggered disruption of Parliament, the dalit czarina seems set to corner the glory despite Congress authoring the constitutional amendment. Mayawati being a member of the Upper House could hijack the spotlight in a debate.
There was no let up in Mayawati’s aggression on Tuesday. She claimed credit for the Cabinet decision but warned, “If BJP and allies do not heed our appeal and UPA does not ensure its passage, then we can assume… they do not want SCs/STs to stand on their own feet and derive benefit of promotion.”
The BSP chief’s aggressive espousal of quota betrays confidence in the face of a seeming gang-up among non-dalits against the proposal. The four-time CM of UP does not think it will limit her appeal in the vast state where alliance with sections of OBCs and upper castes is a must for her to be serious power player.
The 2007 slogan of “Brahmin shankh bajayega, haathi jhoomta jayega” was dictated by the desire to break out of the limited dalit base. It paid dividends and Mayawati herself acknowledged that social engineering had helped her cause.
If Mayawati needs trans-dalit support for the 2014 battle, she seems to think that as long as she can keep a hold on her core base, the rest will take care of itself.
The belief seems to stem from the dismal performance of ‘ummeed ki cycle” that BSP believes would be a major factor in deciding the voting preference of upper castes-middle classes despite SP’s bid to use its opposition to promotion quota as a bait for upper caste employees-youth.
The intermittent religious riots, corruption and general rudderlessness of the Akhilesh Yadav regime have raised hopes in BSP which was recently swept out of power by SP. That it finished just around 4% behind SP and that BJP and Congress remain marginal players has kept morale high.
