Politically Incorrect

A woman Chief Minister, a Dalit, a lady of humble beginnings, from a caste once considered the untouchables……..has risen once more to rule the largest state of India, this time with much more authority and stability than the last three times. Speaks a lot of Indian politics, does it not? Yet, I have a growing feeling of discomfort somewhere. I feel something is not right somewhere.

This maybe a misplaced feeling, because I realise myself that there are a lot of positives from the emphatic victory of Mayawati in this election. First, the points I have mentioned above are in themselves reasons to feel good about, and the authority with which this victory has been achieved shows the growing acceptability of women and underprivileged sections in our society. Secondly, a state known for its caste based politics voting across caste lines is a cause of much relief. Mayawati won riding high on the support of Brahmans, Thakurs, Muslims in addition to her traditional support base of Dalits and the lower castes.

But when I think of what led to this success of Mayawati and I do not get any convincing answers, that is what makes me uncomfortable. A lady mired in controversy and cases of corruption against her, a party full of leaders tainted with some case of crime or corruption is again at the helm. Her track record as the Chief Minister the last three times is also not something that is too exciting. Changes in political loyalties, extending and taking support from any party (Congress, BJP, SP) that suits her convenience have been the hallmarks of her political career.

You may say that it is true of almost all political leaders and parties today. The public just does not have a choice and whoever they vote for does not really make a difference. All other parties also have leaders with dubious records, criminal cases, corruption charges and are veterans at changing loyalty to different parties. And herein lies my problem, why I cannot start my celebrations at all the positive trends that I mentioned at the beginning of this post. The reason for Mayawati’s victory may not be that people voted for a woman, or for a Dalit, but it may very well be that they did not have any choice. Worse still, there maybe a case that she was the one who was the most successful at what marks most elections in these states (UP, Bihar etc.) of India, muscle power, this time. Or maybe Behenji put the money at her disposal to the best possible use.

Whatever it is, one thing that we can hope from her landslide victory is that UP will atleast have a stable government that lasts its term without the pressures of coalitions and the need for horse-trading. And I hope that without such pressures, we see some development in the state, that Mayawati’s fourth term at the helm is memorable for the development of the state rather than murky episodes like the Taj corridor.