Word: mayawati
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...extremists to derail it. Indeed, in the aftermath of the recent Mumbai terror attacks, the city did not erupt in sectarian riots as some had feared it would. Back in 1949, B.R. Ambedkar, the low-caste architect of India's constitution, called democracy "topdressing on Indian soil." Yet today, Mayawati Kumari, a member of a Dalit, or untouchable, caste is one of the nation's biggest political stars - albeit one with a penchant for accepting lavish gifts. "The fact that a leader like Mayawati can rise, that a Dalit woman can have a shot at becoming the Prime Minister...
...Mayawati's master stroke was to drop her weary slogans calling on her supporters to use their shoes to "beat" upper-caste Brahmins and to reach out to them; many feel as sidelined by the middle-ranking castes who control much of government these days as do the Dalits. That unlikely coalition, key to Congress's decades of dominance in Indian politics, is now working for Mayawati. "The difference with Congress is that they were using Dalits but keeping them on a bottom level, whereas we are all on an equal platform with a Dalit leader at the top," says...
...What sort of a national leader would Mayawati make? It is difficult to pin down her policies, says political analyst Swapan Dasgupta, "because she has this arbitrary style." Since taking over in Uttar Pradesh again, Mayawati, who has called herself a "living goddess," has ordered half a dozen statues of herself and is building a $100 million park to commemorate BSP founder Kanshi Ram. She also wants to spend billions of dollars on a highway running beside the Ganges and has plans for a shopping mall next to the Taj Mahal. Such huge projects appeal to her supporters not only...
...Mayawati's critics, statues and megaprojects are simply evidence of her vanity and opportunities for kickbacks. India's Central Bureau of Investigation has an ongoing investigation into Mayawati's "disproportionate assets." Mayawati herself has filed papers with election officials indicating she owns 72 properties and has 54 bank accounts. Those records show Mayawati's wealth increased by more than 30 times over the past four years to $13 million - a fact she puts down to generous supporters who have showered her with gifts of jewelry, art and cash. Her aides say that the gifts are all fully recorded and accounted...
...past couple of months, as speculation has turned to the possibility of an early election, Mayawati has held a series of rallies around the country and has begun testing her political weight, perhaps to see how far she can go. On March 31, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi criticized Mayawati for not running Uttar Pradesh properly. Yet on her birthday, both Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was in China at the time, had made sure to call Mayawati to wish her well. After all, they might need her support in a matter of months...