Maya’s Mandate

Maya’s Mandate

A great opportunity to turn UP around

Riding on the huge verdict in favour of her party, Mayawati is already setting a scorching pace. On Sunday, Mayawati was sworn in for her fourth innings as Uttar Pradesh chief minister along with 49 other members of her ministry. The composition of her cabinet reflects the rainbow coalition that she had forged during the elections. There are eight Dalits, four OBCs, three Brahmins and a Muslim, Baniya, Thakur and Bhumihar each in the cabinet. A similar nod to caste equations is reflected in the line-up of ministers of state. There has expectedly been a flurry of activity on other fronts too. Two IAS officials have been suspended and the entire administrative and police machinery has been reshuffled. The controversial Uttar Pradesh State Development Council (UPSDC), headed by Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, has also been scrapped. All this is par for the course in a state where political rivalries are bitter and run deep. However, Mayawati would be squandering a great opportunity to turn around one of the worst-run states if she gets too preoccupied with the politics of vendetta. This is the first time in 14 years that a stable government will be in place in UP, and the Mayawati government must make the most of it.
The BSP’s victory in the UP polls was as much due to the caste coalition stitched by Mayawati as to voter disgust with the law and order situation. Now comes the harder part of delivering on election promises. Mayawati had campaigned on the single-point agenda that she would end the goonda raj in UP. It is encouraging that during her swearing-in she again stressed her commitment to restore law and order. Mayawati has said that she will immediately target the goonda tax, which was one of the most pernicious features of the last government. If security to life and property cannot be ensured, nothing is going to change in UP. The scrapping of UPSDC will also hopefully spell the end of crony capitalism that had become a hallmark of the Mulayam Singh government. There are indications already that investors are heading to Lucknow lured by the prospects of a stable government. UP is in dire need of infrastructure projects, and the more private players invest in the state the better. This has to be, of course, coupled with efficient and clean administration. After years of misgovernance, Bihar seems to have turned the corner under Nitish Kumar. The same could happen in UP.