Low-caste woman to lead government in Uttar Pradesh
India’s most powerful low-caste politician
has been preparing to take power in the country’s most populous state,
Uttar Pradesh.
India’s most powerful low-caste politician has been preparing to take power in the country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Former schoolteacher Mayawati Kumari’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won 206 constituencies, giving her a narrow majority in the 403-seat state assembly, the election commission said on Saturday.
Like most nations with multiple parties, an outright majority is unusual - and guarantees a predominant role in the coalition resulting from the election.
The results paved the way for the outspoken leader to take the state chief minister’s office for the fourth time. Mayawati’s legislators started arriving in Lucknow, the state capital, for a meeting at which she was due to be formally elected to lead her party in the provincial house.
The victory surprised her rivals and contradicted exit polls.
“People of all castes have brought us to power,” Mayawati told a press conference, as she thanked the upper-castes and Muslims for spurning their traditional preferences to vote for her.
Previous elections saw all the contenders - including Maya - relying exclusively on followers from their own caste. Mayawati abandoned that tactic after the previous election and reached out to form a coalition which included Brahmins, Muslims and other segments in the state.
Posted: Sat - May 12, 2007 at 08:42 AM