Kumari Mayawati (born 15 January 1956) is an Indian politician.
She has served four separate terms as
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. She is the national president of the
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which focuses on a platform of social change for ''Bahujans'', more commonly known as
Other Backward Castes,
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
as well as
converted minorities from these castes. She was chief minister briefly in 1995 and again in 1997, then from 2002 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2012.
Mayawati's rise from humble beginnings has been called a "miracle of democracy" by
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the 9th prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to Indi ...
, former
prime minister of India.
In 1993
Kanshi Ram formed a coalition with the
Samajwadi Party and Mayawati became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1995. She was the first female
Scheduled Caste chief minister in India. In 1997 and in 2002 she was chief minister with outside support from the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the List of ruling p ...
(BJP), the second time only for a year up to 26 August 2003 due to BJP withdrawing support.
Mayawati's tenure has attracted praise and criticism. Millions of
Dalit
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...
s across India view her as an icon, and refer to her as ''Behen-ji'' (elder sister). She has been praised for her fundraising efforts on behalf of her party and her birthdays have been widely celebrated by her supporters. The rise in her personal wealth and that of her party have been criticised as indicative of corruption.
After losing the 2012 legislative assembly elections to
Akhilesh Yadav Akhilesh is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Akhilesh Das (1961–2017), educationist, professor, Indian politician and philanthropist
* Akhilesh K. Gaharwar (born 1982), Indian academic and Professor at Texas A&M University
*Ak ...
of
Samajwadi Party, she resigned from her post on 7 March 2012. Later that month, she was elected to the
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
, the upper house of
Indian parliament
The Parliament of India (IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of t ...
.
Early life and education
Mayawati was born on 15 January 1956 at
Shrimati Sucheta Kriplani Hospital,
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...
into a
Dalit
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...
family of
Jatav caste.
Her father Prabhu Das, was a post office employee at Badalpur village, near
Dadri in
Gautam Buddha Nagar.
The sons in the family were sent to private schools, while the daughters went to "low-performing government schools".
Mayawati studied for her B.A. in 1975 at the
Kalindi College
Kalindi College ( hi, कालिंदी कॉलेज) is located East Patel Nagar, New Delhi. The college is affiliated to University of Delhi.
History
The college had a beginning as ‘Government College Devnagar’; within a year the c ...
,
University of Delhi
Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE ...
and obtained her
LL.B. from the prestigious
Faculty of Law, University of Delhi in 1983. She completed a
B.Ed. from
Meerut University
Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCS University), formerly Meerut University, is a public state university located in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. The university was established in 1965. It was later renamed to its current name after Chaudh ...
's VMLG College,
Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad () is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and a part of Delhi NCR. It is the administrative headquarters of Ghaziabad district and is the largest city in western Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 1,729,000. Ghaziabad Mu ...
, in 1976.
She was working as a teacher in Inderpuri JJ Colony, Delhi, and studying for the
Indian Administrative Services exams, when
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
and Other backward castes politician
Kanshi Ram visited her family home in 1977. According to biographer
Ajoy Bose
Ajoy Bose (born 1952) is a Bengali-Indian author, political journalist and television commentator. His books include ''For Reasons of State: Delhi under Emergency'' (1977, written with John Dayal) on the Emergency; ''The Shah Commission Begins' ...
, Ram told her: "I can make you such a big leader one day that not one but a whole row of IAS officers will line up for your orders."
Kanshi Ram included her as a member of his team when he founded the
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1984.
Mayawati was first elected to
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
in 1989.
Early political career
Kanshi Ram founded the BSP in 1984. Influenced by
B. R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ...
, the party's primary focus is to improve the situation of
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
and other
disadvantaged groups through policy reform,
affirmative action on hiring of members of scheduled castes for government posts, and providing rural development programmes.
Reservation in India
Reservation is a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, government schemes, scholarships and politics. Based on provisions in the Indian Constitution, it ...
is a system whereby a percentage of government positions and seats at universities are reserved for persons of backward classes and scheduled castes and tribes. Throughout her political career, Mayawati supported reservation in both government and private sectors for backward classes, with an increase in quotas and inclusion of more communities such as religious minorities and economically weak upper castes.
In August 2012 a bill was cleared that starts the process of amending the constitution so that the reservation system can be expanded to promotions in state jobs.
Mayawati's career has been called a "miracle of democracy" by former Prime Minister of India
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the 9th prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to Indi ...
.
Millions of Dalit supporters view her as an icon and refer to her as "Behen-ji" (sister).
Her public meetings have been attended by large audiences, who use slogans such as ''"Kanshi Ram ka mission Adhoora; karegi Behen Mayawati poora"'' (Kanshi Ram's unfulfilled mission will be completed by Mayawati) and ''"Behenji tum sangharsh karo; hum tumhare saath hain"'' (Sister, go ahead with your struggle; we are with you).
In its first election campaign in 1984, BSP fielded Mayawati for the
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
(Lower House) seat of
Kairana
Kairana is a city and a municipal board in Shamli district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is approximately from Shamli city.
Demographics
As of 2011 Indian Census, Kairana had a total population of 89,000, of which 47,047 were male ...
in the
Muzaffarnagar district
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The city of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters. This district is the part of National Capital Region.
History Medieva ...
, for
Bijnor in 1985, and for
Haridwar
Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.
The city is situated on the ri ...
in 1987. In 1989 she was elected as the representative for
Bijnor, with 183,189 votes, winning by 8,879 votes.
Although BSP did not win control of the house, the electoral experience led to considerable activity for Mayawati over the next five years, as she worked with Mahsood Ahmed and other organisers. The party won three seats in the 1989 national election
and two seats 1991.
Mayawati was first elected to the
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
(Upper House) of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
(UP) in 1994.
In 1995 she became, as head of her party,
Chief Minister in a short-lived coalition government, the youngest
Chief Minister in the history of the state up until that point, and the first female Dalit Chief Minister in India.
She won election to the Lok Sabha in two different constituencies in 1996 and chose to serve for
Harora.
She became Chief Minister again for a short period in 1997 and then from 2002 to 2003 in coalition with the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the List of ruling p ...
. In 2001 Ram named her as his successor to the party leadership.
BSP presidentship
On 15 December 2001, in an address during a rally in Lucknow,
Kanshi Ram named Mayawati as his successor. She was elected national president of the BSP for her first term on 18 September 2003. She was elected unopposed for a second consecutive term on 27 August 2006, for a third term on 30 August 2014
and for fourth term on 28 August 2019.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
As the
Chief Minister, Mayawati gained a reputation for
efficient governance and promoting law and order,
winning praise even from opposition parties
and other rivals.
In 2007, MP
Umakant Yadav of her own political party, accused in a
land grabbing case, was arrested near her dwelling on her orders.
During September–October 2010, at the time of the
Ayodhya verdict, her government maintained law and order
and the state remained peaceful.
Several high-profile criminals and mafia dons were jailed during her terms in office.
She called for strong anti-rape laws.
Fewer riots,
lowest rapes,
and least corruption
occurred during her tenure as compared to previous or successive governments. In the 2007-2012 assembly, only 124 MLAs were
crorepatis as compared to 271 crorepatis in successive assembly elected in 2012.
Uttar Pradesh achieved higher
GDP growth rate at 17 per cent and lesser
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...
s under Mayawati regime as compared to previous and successive governments.
First term, 1995
Mayawati first served as Chief Minister from 3 June 1995 to 18 October 1995 with support of BJP. During this term, the new districts of
Ambedkar Nagar district and
Udham Singh Nagar district were created.
Second term, 1997
Her second term was from 21 March 1997 to 20 September 1997. A drive under her government allotted ''pattas'' or gram sabha lands on lease to thousands of landless residents.
In April 1997, she created
Gautam Budh Nagar district from the district of Ghaziabad,
Kaushambi district
Kaushambi district is a district in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Manjhanpur is the district headquarters. The district was carved from Allahabad district on 4 April 1997. Manauri bajar connects Allahabad and Kaushambi districts by rai ...
was separated from Allahabad district, and
Jyotiba Phule Nagar district from
Moradabad district. In May 1997,
Mahamaya Nagar district was created out of Aligarh district and
Banda district Banda District may refer to:
* Banda District, India, a district in Uttar Pradesh, India
* Banda District, Ghana, a district in the Bono Region, Ghana
* Banda District (Republic of the Congo)
Banda is a district in the Niari Department
Niari ...
was split into Banda and Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar.
Mayawati carried out review meetings with bureaucrats and suspended 127 officers. She setup Dr Ambedkar Awards and erected over 100 statues of various sizes of Ambedkar in Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad and other key towns.
Third term, 2002–03
Her third term was from 3 May 2002 to 26 August 2003. She suspended 12
IAS officers, including
Divisional Commissioners and
District Magistrates. Six
IPS officers
The Indian Police Service ( IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became independent from the British Raj.
Along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) ...
were suspended for failing to maintain law and order, while 24 officers were warned to improve.
She started 511 acre
Gautam Buddha University
Gautam Buddha University ("GBU") ( hi, गौतम बुद्ध विश्वविद्यालय) is a university established by the Uttar Pradesh Gautam Buddha University Act 2002 (UP Act No. 9 of 2002) and came into existence in 2 ...
.
She renamed King George's Medical University to Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University.
She suspended three senior officials after review in a couple of administrative divisions.
2007 State and 2009 general election
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
, India's most populous state and one of its poorest, is considered pivotal in the politics of India because of its large number of voters.
BSP won a majority in the
2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, due to support of Brahmans.
The campaign was accompanied by a colourful slogan: ''Haathi nahin,
Ganesh
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...
hain,
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp ...
,
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
,
Mahesh Hain'': "The elephant (the BSP logo) is really the Lord Ganesha, the trinity of gods rolled into one".
37 percent Brahmins voted for the party.
The BSP won 20 seats in
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
from the state of Uttar Pradesh in the
2009 elections, obtaining the highest percentage (27.42%) of votes for any political party in the state. The party placed third in terms of national polling percentage (6.17%).
Fourth term, 2007–12: BSP absolute majority
Mayawati was sworn in as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time on 13 May 2007. She announced an agenda that focused on providing social justice to the weaker sections of society and providing employment instead of distributing money to the unemployed. Her slogan was to make "Uttar Pradesh" ("Northern Province") into "Uttam Pradesh" ("Excellent Province").
Her government began a major crackdown on irregularities in the recruitment process of police officers recruited during the previous
Mulayam Singh government. Over 18,000 policemen lost their jobs for irregularities in their hiring, and 25
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service ( IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became independent from the British Raj.
Along with the Indian Administrative Service ( ...
officers were suspended for their involvement in corruption while recruiting the constables.
Mayawati instituted reforms to introduce transparency into the recruiting process, including posting the results of selection exams online.
On 10 August 2007, the Mayawati government proposed 30 per cent reservation in jobs in the private sector. A quota for promotions was also introduced, but was later quashed by the
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...
. In September 2007, Bhimrao Ambedkar Rural Integrated Development Programme was started.
The Dr Ambedkar Gram Vikas Yojana scheme was launched for supplying water, electricity, and constructing roads in villages with a Dalit majority.
Under this scheme, 24,716 villages received improvements.
In 2008, Mayawati launched, ''Manyawar Shri Kanshiram Ji Shahri Garib Awas Yojna'', a scheme for building low-cost housing colonies for urban poor with 90,000 low-cost homes under the first round of construction in different towns and cities across the state while a second and a third round were still underway when government ended in 2012 and next government scrapped the scheme including cutting down electricity of these colonies.
Mayawati government started efforts to set up solar power plants and the first 5 MW solar power plant located in
Naini of
Allahabad district started functioning in March 2012 and was developed by EMC Limited.
UP government signed a MoU with
NTPC Limited
NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Power, Government of India which is engaged in generation of electricity an ...
for 1,320-MW power plant.
Mayawati's dream project of 165 km six lane
Yamuna Expressway connected Delhi to Agra through
Noida–Greater Noida Expressway
The Noida–Greater Noida Expressway is a six-lane highway connecting Noida, Uttar Pradesh, an industrial suburb of Delhi to Greater Noida, a new suburb. This expressway is under expansion to Taj Economic Zone, International Airport and Aviatio ...
, touching 1,182 villages in the state.
Later,
Indian Air Force fighter jet
Dassault Mirage 2000 test-Landed on Yamuna Expressway as Part of Trials.
On 15 January 2008, Mayawati inaugurated the construction of the 1,047 km
Ganga Expressway
Ganga Expressway is an under-construction 594 km long, 6-lane wide (expandable to 8) greenfield expressway in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Phase-1 will connect Bijauli village on NH-334 in Meerut district with Judapur Dandu village on ...
at the cost of for joining
Ballia to Greater Noida.
In 2008, Her government established
Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University
Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU) is a state university located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
History
Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University was established by the Divyangjan Sashaktikara ...
for the
Physically challenged students.
In November 2009, Mayawati dedicated
Noida Metro constructed at the cost of .
She had vigorously proposed for construction of
Jewar airport
Noida International Airport is an international airport being constructed near Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar District, Uttar Pradesh in India. Once completed, it is planned to be India's largest airport. The Noida International Airport Limite ...
near
Noida
Noida, short for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, is a planned city located in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Noida is a satellite city of Delhi and is a part of the National Capital Region (NCR) o ...
.
In October 2011, Mayawati government under public-private partnership with
Jaypee Group
Jaiprakash Associates Limited, commonly known as Jaypee Group, is an Indian conglomerate company based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It has business interests in engineering, construction, power, cement, real estate, hospitality, IT, spor ...
successfully executed and delivered First
F1 Indian Grand Prix, an international event at
Buddh International Circuit,
Greater Noida constructed by Jaypee Group. The event was hailed as flawlessly conducted salvaging some of India's prestige when compared to minor embarrassments in
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, ...
(Before opening ceremony) conducted in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
.
Mayawati presented the winning trophy to winner
Sebastian Vettel.
Foreigners found the track as 'impressive'
and 3 Indian teenagers picked by a
F1 panel to train them as future Formula One drivers in Europe.
Mayawati has seen through to completion of several memorials dedicated to icons of
Bahujan Samaj build first time in India, including the
Manyawar Shri Kanshiram Ji Green Eco Garden (inaugurated March 2011),
the
Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden
The Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden (''National Dalit Inspiration Place and Green Garden'') is a memorial in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned by former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati and inaugurated on 14 ...
(inaugurated October 2011),
and the
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Prateek Sthal (opened November 2012).
She renamed Amethi district as Chattrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar, Kanpur Dehat as Rambai Nagar, Sambhal as Bheem Nagar, Shamli as Prabuddha Nagar, Hapur as Panchsheel Nagar, Kasganj as Kanshiram Nagar, Hathras as Mahamaya Nagar and Amroha as JP Nagar.
Mayawati during her tenure directed all the Commissioners and the District Magistrates to distribute 3 acre land pieces or pattas to weaker sections of society by launching special drive for illegal possesses of pattas be dispossessed of them and the eligible poor be identified by regular monitoring of pattas and strict action against the mafias and musclemen through spot verification of different development and public welfare programmes.
In 2010, 5596 people belonging to the SC and ST communities were allotted 1054.879 hectares of agriculture land. In a special drive 74 FIRs were filed and 88 people were arrested for illegal occupation from agricultural land.
''Sugar Information Service'' a model website supported by
SMS
Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...
and
IVRS facility was developed.
Mayawati dedicated the 286-bed super-specialty Centenary hospital in Lucknow and 50-bed critical care unit at
CSMMU and increased salaries of doctors. Mayawati, in 2007, launched
Manyawar Kanshiram Multi-speciality Hospital in Greater Noida which started its OPD services in April 2013.
Mayawati government also spent on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Multi Speciality Hospital in Sector 30 of Noida.
Her government also instituted ''Sant Ravidas Kala Samman Award'' with a cash prize of .
Under ''Savitri Bai Phule Balika Shiksha Madad Yojna'', Mayawati distributed over 10 lakh bicycles among Muslim and poor school girls from 2008 to 2011.
After coming to power in 2007, Mayawati wrote letters to the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
regarding partitioning of Uttar Pradesh into four different states in 2007, in March 2008 and December 2009. Finally on 15 November 2011, Mayawati's
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
approved partitioning Uttar Pradesh into four different states (
Pashchim Pradesh,
Awadh Pradesh,
Bundelkhand and
Purvanchal) for better administration and governance.
On 6 March 2012 the Bahujan Samaj Party
lost its majority to the
Samajwadi Party and Mayawati tendered her resignation to the governor of Uttar Pradesh the next day,
thereby becoming the first CM to complete five full years in office. On 13 March 2012 she filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha, and she was declared elected unopposed on 22 March.
Political and legal issues
Mayawati's political career has attracted praise and controversy.
She has been praised for her fundraising efforts on behalf of her party, and her birthdays were major media events as well as a symbol for her supporters. The increase in her personal wealth and that of her party
have been viewed by critics as signs of corruption.
Taj corridor
In 2002, the government of Uttar Pradesh began improvements of the infrastructure in the Taj Heritage Corridor, the important tourist area in
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra ...
that includes the
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...
. The project was soon riddled with problems, including funds being released for the project without the submission of the required detailed project reports to the environmental authorities.
Suspecting there were financial irregularities as well, the
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Originally set up to investigate bribery and government ...
(CBI) raided twelve residences, including Mayawati's. It had filed a
First Information Report against her and seven others two days earlier.
The raid uncovered evidence of assets disproportionate to her known income.
Afterwards, Mayawati resigned from her own government to prove that she was not "hungry for power" She asked the BJP-run
Government of India
The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
to remove
Union Tourism and Culture Minister,
Jagmohan
Jagmohan Malhotra (25 September 1927 – 3 May 2021), known by the mononym Jagmohan, was an Indian civil servant and politician. After working with the Indian National Congress, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1995. He served as Lieute ...
for conspiring this all controversy against her.
In June 2007, Governor
T. V. Rajeswar
T. V. Rajeswar (28 August 1926 in Salem, Tamil Nadu – 14 January 2018 in New Delhi) was an Indian Police Service officer, an Intelligence Bureau chief and a Governor of Sikkim, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. He was awarded the Padma Vib ...
said that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute her. In his 23-page order, he said: "the fact that the Mission Management Board, consisting of officers of both the State and the Central Government, regularly met and discussed the project and the fact that even a sum of 17
crores was spent through the Central Government public sector undertaking, NPCC, all go to show that the serious offences with which Mayawati and the Minister were charged do not stand scrutiny."
Advocates unsuccessfully challenged the governor's decision in court. The Supreme Court rejected the plea of the CBI and refused to direct the governor to prosecute her. The Taj corridor case was effectively ended before going to trial.
Disproportionate assets case
In the 2007–08 assessment year, Mayawati paid an
income tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Ta ...
of 26 crore, ranking among the top 20 taxpayers in the country. Earlier the CBI filed a case against her for owning assets disproportionate to her known sources of income. Mayawati described the CBI investigation against her as illegal.
Her party asserted that her income comes from gifts and small contributions made by party workers and supporters.
On 3 August 2011 the Delhi High court dismissed the central government's appeal against Mayawati, stating that "she has fully discharged her obligations by disclosing the identities of all of her donors, the gifts had been donated by her supporters".
The central government decided not to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.
On 13 March 2012 Mayawati revealed assets worth 111.26 crore in an affidavit filed with her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha.
The disproportionate assets case was finally quashed on 6 July 2012—nine years later—by a Supreme Court bench of Justice
P Sathasivam
Palanisamy Sathasivam (born 27 April 1949) is an Indian judge who served as the 40th Chief Justice of India, holding the office from 2013 to 2014. On retirement from his judicial career, Sathasivam was appointed the 21st Governor of Kerala fro ...
and
Dipak Misra
Justice Dipak Misra (born 3 October 1953) is an Indian jurist who served as the 45th Chief Justice of India from 28 August 2017 till 2 October 2018. He is also former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and Delhi High Court. He is the nephew ...
; the court found that the case was unwarranted.
Based on an opinion received from the Directorate of Prosecution, the CBI decided not to file an appeal.
On 4 October 2012 a
review petition In India, a binding decision of the Supreme Court/ High Court can be reviewed in Review Petition. The parties aggrieved on any order of the Supreme Court on any apparent error can file a review petition. Taking into consideration the principle of ...
was filed by Kamlesh Verma, contending that the case had been dismissed merely on technical grounds, and that the evidence had not been adequately reviewed.
On 8 August 2013 the Supreme Court declined a request to re-open the case.
After seeking legal advice, the CBI finally closed their file on 8 October 2013.
Bahujan monuments
In her tenures as a Chief Minister, Mayawati commissioned the production and public display of several monuments having parks, gallerias, museums, memorials, murals and statues representing Buddhist and Hindu, Dalit/
OBC icons like
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
,
Gadge Maharaj,
Sant Ravidas
Ravidas or Raidas, was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a ''guru'' (teacher) in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punj ...
,
Sant Kabir
Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, ...
,
Narayana Guru
Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritu ...
,
Jyotirao Phule,
Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj,
Babasaheb Ambedkar, BSP party founder
Kanshi Ram, and of herself.
She claims that the expenditure was required because the past governments did not show respect towards Dalit leaders, in whose memory nothing had ever been built.
She spent somewhere between 25 and 60 billion rupees (about US$500 million to US$1.3 billion) on projects in five parks and at memorials such as
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal and Manyavar Kanshiram Smarak Sthal, built in the name of B.R. Ambedkar, Ramabai Ambedkar, and Kanshi Ram in Lucknow between 2007 and 2009.
The
Comptroller and Auditor General of India
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the supreme audit institution of India, established under Article 148 of the Constitution of India. They are empowered to audit all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the ...
reported that 66 crore (about US$12 million) in excessive costs had been incurred on the construction of the memorials.
In February 2010 Mayawati's government approved a plan for a special police force to protect the statues, as she feared that her political opponents might demolish them.
In December 2010, her government received permission to continue part of the plan, namely maintenance and completion of
Ambedkar Memorial Park.
Despite the existing Supreme Court stay, in October 2011 Mayawati inaugurated the
Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden
The Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden (''National Dalit Inspiration Place and Green Garden'') is a memorial in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned by former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati and inaugurated on 14 ...
, built at a cost of 685 crore.
Since the memorial also features her own statues, Mayawati was accused by the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
of wasting the taxpayers' money.
The BSP dismissed the allegations, stating that her statues were erected because Kanshi Ram's will requested that his statues should be constructed next to those of the current President of BSP. Mayawati accused the Congress of being "anti-Dalit".
In January 2012, the
Election Commission ordered that all of the statues of Mayawati as well as recent statues of elephants ( the symbol of the Bahujan Samaj Party) should be covered up until after February's Uttar Pradesh election.
On 26 July 2012 the statue in Lucknow was damaged by members of a group calling themselves "Uttar Pradesh Naunirman Sena".
A replacement statue was re-installed overnight by the Lucknow city administration.
Following the Lucknow vandalism, there were similar such incidents in other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
World Bank criticism
The
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
lent India funds for development, and Mayawati was to manage projects with this money in UP. The projects were preplanned and on schedule, but the Mayawati government made changes which put the projects behind schedule, including rapidly transferring upper caste managers in and out of rural posts.
The World Bank sent a letter of complaint on 1 August 2002 to India's central government stating, "We have now learnt that project managers have been replaced within three weeks of assuming office. The project coordinator of the Diversified Agriculture Support Project has been changed twice in quick succession and at the moment there is no project coordinator. In the forestry project, numerous changes have been made over past six months ... Such developments do not augur well for these time-bound projects that require consistently good leadership."
Mayawati initially responded by saying the letter was a fake and later said there had been a misunderstanding. She then decreased the number of transfers, stopped creating new posts, and temporarily reduced the level of government spending on furniture and vehicles in response to the allegations. The World Bank continued to criticise the level of corruption even after these measures had been implemented.
Positions held
Kumari Mayawati has been elected 3 times as
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
MP and 4 times as
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
MP.
As per the Election affidavit of 2012 (
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
), Mayawati has assets worth
₹111.64
crores and liabilities worth
₹87.68
lakhs (0.87 crores).
Personal life and public image
Mayawati started her political career after Kanshi Ram, the founder of Bahujan Samaj Party, persuaded her to join the civil service and politics.
Mayawati chose to remain unmarried. She is also known as the ''Iron Lady Mayawati''.
Kanshi Ram praised Mayawati at her 47th birthday celebrations for her fundraising activities on behalf of the party. He stated that the party's eventual goal is to gain power at the national level, and that Mayawati's efforts had helped in that quest.
Her birthdays have since become major media events at which she has appeared laden with diamonds.
Her supporters have declared her birthday as ''Jan Kalyankari Diwas'' (People's Welfare Day). In 2009, the day was marked by the announcement of welfare schemes targeted towards poor and downtrodden people of the state
and, in 2010, by the launch of social programmes with a value of over 7,312
crore.
In 2007–08, Mayawati paid as income tax.
She was at number 20 in the I-T department's compilation of the top 200 taxpayers' list with names like
Shah Rukh Khan and
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who captained the Indian national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the all time highest run-sco ...
.
Mayawati paid in advance tax in April–December 2007. She paid on other incomes, most of which was declared by her as "gifts" by party members.
When BSP workers garlanded Mayawati with currency notes on the occasion of the party's silver jubilee celebrations coinciding with BSP founder Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary on 15 March 2010, Indian news channels and newspapers purported to expose the event as a ‘scandal’ on the presumption that the Chief Minister had publicly committed an act of corruption that was being flaunted openly and declaring that the garland of currency notes was made from money through corrupt means and not from donations of Bahujan Samaj Party supporters as Mayawati, her Ministers and supporters claimed.
At Kanshi Ram's funeral ceremonies in 2006, Mayawati stated that both Kanshi Ram and herself had been, and she would continue to be, observant of
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
traditions and customs. She has stated her intention to
formally convert to Buddhism when the political conditions enable her to become
Prime Minister of India. Her act of performing the
last rites (traditionally done by a male heir) was an expression of their views against
gender discrimination
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primar ...
.
When she was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, she publicly called
Bhikkhu
A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics (" nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist ...
s to prayer.
Literature about Mayawati
Literature about Mayawati includes studies and books. One of the first works about her was journalist Mohammad Jamil Akhter's book, ''Iron Lady Kumari Mayawati''.
Her autobiographies are ''Mere Sangarshmai Jeevan Evam Bahujan Movement Ka Safarnama'' in three volumes in Hindi and ''A Travelogue of My Struggle-ridden Life and of Bahujan Samaj'', in two volumes in English.
''Behenji : A Political Biography of Mayawati'' is a biography by veteran journalist Ajoy Bose.
Awards and recognition
In 2003, Mayawati as the Chief Minister, was awarded ''
Paul Harris Fellow Award'' by
UNICEF,
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...
and
Rotary International, for her initiative in
Polio eradication. Mayawati was also honoured with ''Rajarshi Shahu Award'' by Rajarshi Shahu Memorial Trust.
In 2008, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' added Mayawati in the 59th place on its list of the 100 most powerful women in the world.
She appeared in ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
''s top woman achievers list in 2007.
In 2009 a ''Newsweek'' article described her as the
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
of India, and a potential candidate for
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
.
''Time'' magazine included Mayawati in India's 15 Most Influential list for 2007.
See also
*
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
*
Kanshi Ram
*
Bahujan Samaj Party
*
Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti
*
BAMCEF
*
Bahujan Volunteer Force
*
Jai Bhim
References
External links
Official biodataBahujan Samaj Party
{{Good article
1956 births
Living people
Dalit women
India MPs 2004–2009
Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh
People from Bijnor district
Bahujan Samaj Party politicians
Leaders of political parties in India
Chaudhary Charan Singh University alumni
Uttar Pradesh MLAs 1997–2002
India MPs 1989–1991
India MPs 1998–1999
India MPs 1999–2004
Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2002–2007
Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
Women members of the Rajya Sabha
Women chief ministers of Indian states
Women members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
20th-century Indian women politicians
20th-century Indian politicians
21st-century Indian women politicians
21st-century Indian politicians
Dalit politicians
Women members of the Lok Sabha
People from Akbarpur, Ambedkar Nagar
Faculty of Law, University of Delhi alumni
People charged with corruption