Bumpy journey lies ahead for Mayawati: Sudha Pai

New Delhi, May 17: Notching up a win in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections is just the beginning of a rough and bumpy ride for Chief Minister Mayawati as its not only Dalits but Brahmins also who will now look up to the 'miracle of Indian democracy', as the Dalit daughter was once described by former Prime Minister the late Narasimha Rao.

''Mayawati has got a historic chance. It is a real challenge, and Dalits and Brahmins both have their aspirations attached to her,'' said JNU Prof Sudha Pai at the launch of her book 'Political Process in Uttar Pradesh' on Tuesday.

''The BSP supremo does not seem to have changed much as she has already started talking about Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh and transfering officials too,'' Prof Pai said.

Prof Pai pointed out that this time Mayawati will have different challenges. She will have to work for the development of the state besides trying to pull it out of the pit of penury, she added.

Mr Gopi Krishna Arora, former bureaucrat, who released the book, said, ''Today, it is important to understand the historic dimension of Mayawati's win. It is for the first time that BSP has succeeded in breaking the code of hierarchy.'' Mr Arora said the win has given the lowest of the low of an opportunity to pursue a design for an egalitarian society. It has brought Dalits to a platform where they no more feel an 'object' but a 'subject', the former IAS officer added.

Columnist Mahesh Rangarajan, who was part of the panel discussion that followed the book release, said, '' The BSP will have to build a strong governance and economy.'' Stating that in a socially polarised nation like India it is itself historic if a member belonging to the upper castes touches the feet of a person of a lower caste, and 2007-UP elections witnessed that, he added.

''But how far is this 'backward-forward' alliance going to go? This is a temporary phenomenon. The upper castes had a change of heart which helped Mayawati emerge victorious, but if she wants to survive she will have to work for employment generation and poverty alleviation,'' Mr Rangarajan said.

''There lies a bigger challenge ahead, as in the times to come the BSP will have to fight with the people in the party fold itself,'' the columnist pointed out.

The book, 'Political Process...', edited by Prof Pai, deals with issues like--Historical roots of identity, politics of identity, parties and electoral politics and economic reform and governance in in the most populous state of the country.

UNI