Why ‘golden deer’ of Indian politics Mayawati doesn’t care for anybody

New Delhi, Oct 5: No political leadership or party feel easy after facing consecutive debacles. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had to go at it hard after losing the general elections of 2004 and 2009 for another likely loss could have left their house in serious doldrums. Likewise, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) suffered two humiliating defeats in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and in the 2017 UP Assembly election and has a lot at stake at this time, till the time the next Lok Sabha election arrives in the early half of 2019.

After two major poll defeats, Mayawati is going all out now

The supremo of the Dalit-based party, Mayawati, knows how much is the pressure on her to remain a messiah of India's subaltern political space and she has taken the right approach to meet the challenge - by turning proactive and assertive and even if required, belligerent. One would have been surprised had the leader been quiet and gentle at this time for that would have sent a wrong message to her party's constituencies and supporters.

Regional leaders know how much weak the Congress is today

The 62-year-old leader has a test of survival ahead of her. She has been no less ambitious to achieve higher goals in politics but for that to happen in the near future, she has to get her basic strength strong. Certain quarters feel that she is shattering the prospects of a national unity against the Narendra Modi government by dumping the Congress ahead of state elections in three states in the Hindi belt this year end, but the thing is the BSP supremo can't afford to toe a weak Congress's line if she has to extend her own political career. This is not something that she has done as a regional leader for the first time.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also dumped the Congress-led UPA in 2012 while Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ended the Mahagathbandhan in his state in 2017 to go back to the BJP. The reasons are different in each case but the spirit is the same somewhere - the regional satraps have started to feel convinced that the Congress is too weak now to help their cause. We have perhaps reached the post-post-Congress era of Indian politics.

However, people like Mayawati and Mamata have not dumped the Congress high command led by the Gandhis and that is something which has still kept the Grand Old Party of India hopeful. But is only a rapport with the Gandhis at the top enough for identity-based outfits like the BSP to make a sound alliance at the grassroots?

The assertion that Mayawati has made of late also speaks a lot about her asserting the identity politics - something which shapes her party and politics. She has taken on former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh brutally and even called him a "BJP agent". Though there may be political reasons for this attack, the old non-conformity between the Dalit and Rajput suddenly became apparent.

Rahul Gandhi failed to rise to the occasion?

Mayawati has gone all out for the upcoming Assembly elections and the next general polls for she thinks an aggressive style and strategy will fetch her the rewards. The Congress, on the other hand, remains divided and confused and not doing the extra bid required to give the idea of a grand alliance wings. This also reflects poorly on the leadership of the current president Rahul Gandhi who has time and again spoken for a united opposition against Modi's BJP but not being able to chip in as the glue when needed.

The Congress might suspect Mayawati to be operating under a pressure from the agencies but from a purely political point of view, it is normal if the BSP chief sees zero utility in appeasing a Congress which clearly requires assistance to do well in elections today. The Grand Old Party might not have been able to shed its old pride and baggage and find it too much if a regional leader like Mayawati demands more but it has to accept the reality that it can only play a second fiddle to the local forces if it aspires to win some electoral reward in the days to come.

A 'golden deer' sought by all

Mayawati also knows that she is the 'golden deer' of Indian politics now. Her party had a considerable vote share in the last general elections even if it did not get any seat. The Opposition will feel enticed to get her on board for that will keep the BJP under pressure. And the shrewd Mayawati will take full use of her advantageous position and put more and more pressure on the Opposition allies to meet her demands.

Either way, she is doing good.