Battle for UP: Why Mayawati's trusted bureaucrats have moved away

BSP President Mayawati, as chief minister, has always been lucky to have a loyal and dedicated band of bureaucrats who have helped her steer through the turbulent waters of UP politics.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati, as chief minister, has always been lucky to have a loyal and dedicated band of bureaucrats who have helped her steer through the turbulent waters of Uttar Pradesh politics.

The bureaucrats, mainly Dalits, have shown unflinching loyalty towards her and have been a major strength in her success as the chief minister.

However, these bureaucrats -- now retired -- are moving away from the BSP and have no qualms in criticising her style of function and deviation from Kanshi Ram's ideology.

The latest in this line is retired IAS officer Kunwar Fateh Bahadur, who joined the Samajwadi Party two days ago.

Kunwar Fateh Bahadur, who served as principal secretary to chief minister in the Mayawati regime and was one of the most powerful officers in her regime, had questioned her decision to appoint leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from the same community (Brahmins).

Sources close to the former IAS officer said that he was 'pained' to see Kanshi Ram's party move away from his ideology.

Another Mayawati bureaucrat, who left the BSP president a decade ago, is P.L. Punia, who has since joined the Congress.

Punia was seen as the man who guided Mayawati through her first tenure as chief minister and he was the only bureaucrat whom the BSP president respected and listened to. He fell out with her after the Taj Corridor controversy and later joined the Congress.

Brijlal, former Special DG in Uttar Pradesh, was another Mayawati favourite who has left her.

An upright IAS officer, he was known to tackle the law-and-order situation with an iron hand. However, he was apparently eased out of her coterie and has now joined the BJP.

Brijlal is now Rajya Sabha MP and also the Dalit face the of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Tribhuvan Ram, a former chief engineer in the PWD, had taken voluntary retirement in 2011 to join the BSP. He was elected to the Vidhan Sabha in 2021 but this time, he is contesting on a BJP ticket.

Former bureaucrats like Ram Bahadur and Shri Krishna who were known to be trusted babus in the Mayawati regimes, have now moved away from the BSP president.

Padam Singh, Mayawati's personal security officer, was known to be the man she trusted most. He was known as her shadow and she trusted him more than any of her party leaders and officers.

However, he fell out of favour for reasons not known and is now in the BJP.

Talking to IANS on condition of anonymity, one of her former favourite IAS officers said, "She is now under the influence of non-Dalit leaders and this has been her undoing. She now refuses to entertain Dalit leaders and this is evident from the exodus of senior leaders from the party. It is a matter of time before the BSP completely disintegrates."

--IANS

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