After Ballia debacle, Maya turns heat on Brahmins
The Times of India
January 6, 2008

Introduction: CM Dissolves Upper Caste Panels

Dropping the bonhomie rhetoric that saw BSP drawing in Brahmin votes and leaders in last year’s election, UP chief minister Mayawati has trained her guns on Brahmins, holding them responsible for the party’s debacle in Ballia by-election. In a huff, she announced the dissolution of all the Vaishya and Brahmin bhaichara samitis, which were formed to bring the trading community and Brahmins close to BSP.

At a meeting of BSP legislators and members of Parliament on Friday, Mayawati said bhaichara samitis will be reconstituted. She also instructed party leaders to finalise the list of candidates for Lok Sabha elections by the end of January. In what is being seen as playing down of Brahmin-card, Mayawati appointed Naseemuddin Siddiqui, KK Gautam, Munkad Ali and Jugul Kishore as party coordinators in the state. Brahmins have been conspicuously ignored, apparently to send a message to the Dalit voter that their interests would not be compromised.

She took the Brahmin leadership to task for poor performance in Ballia as it was on their suggestion that she gave ticket to Vinay Shankar Tewari for the poll.