US cables: Maya a 'first-rate egomaniac'
RAMENDRA SINGH Posted online: Mon Sep 05 2011, 01:20 hrs
Lucknow : While the US Embassy looked at Uttar Pradesh as the most
crucial Indian state politically, it was sharply critical of Chief
Minister Mayawati. In cables released by WikiLeaks, Mayawati is
variously described as "a first rate egomaniac" who runs the state
"like a fiefdom", and acts on "her eccentricities, whims and
insecurities".
Making a mention of Mayawati's lavish celebrations on January 15, her
birthday, a cable dated January 16, 2009, talks of it being "her
favorite party of the year when the sycophantic fealty of BSP party
members reaches its apex". It mentions the December 2008 murder of a
district engineer by allegedly a BSP legislator during a collection
shakedown forcing the BSP leader to tone down her celebration.
Another cable, dated October 23, 2008, says poloff (political
officers) travelled in three cities of UP to gauge the political state
of play. It found, "Mayawati is obsessed with becoming Prime Minister
and the BSP will spend huge sums in next year's national polls."
With all signs pointing to another coalition government in Delhi,
"Mayawati could be a powerbroker and perhaps even a king (or queen)
maker."
Under the heading "Eccentric Paranoia" the cable says, "Mayawati's
full majority victory in May 2007 UP state Assembly elections left her
beholden to no one and has allowed her to act on her eccentricities,
whims and insecurities. When she needed new sandals, her private jet
flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand."
It further mentions Mayawati's "vice-like grip on all levers of
power". "All decisions must run through Mayawati or her very small
coterie of advisors," says the cable. According to the cable, a poloff
met a journalist in Lucknow who said a minister was forced to do
sit-ups in front of her as penance for not first asking permission to
call on UP's Governor.
A cable dated March 17, 2009, before the Lok Sabha elections, says
poloff noted "Mayawati deeply wants to become prime minister and with
thirty plus seats, she will be a player at the center. With fifty
seats (an outside possibility), the unpredictable chief minister could
be a major player."
A cable dated October 9, 2007, is titled 'Mayawati has little to show
for first 100 days' and says she had not been able to tackle the
problems of poverty, education, employment, and governance. "Instead,
she remains focused on undoing many of the decisions of her
predecessor..."
'A free run'
"Mayawati is obsessed with becoming Prime Minister"
"When she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to
retrieve her preferred brand"
"A journalist said a minister was forced to do sit-ups in front of her
for not asking permission to call on Governor"
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