Lok Sabha elections 2019: Why Mayawati is key to defeating BJP, Modi

A woman who represents millions of India's poorest citizens is now the country's most sought-after politician

Mayawati, an icon of country’s traditionally oppressed Dalits who were once known as “untouchables,” is central to opposition efforts to prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reelection in 2019. With rising sectarian tensions leading to stronger political unity among Dalits -- a swing force that consists of about 16.6 percent of country’s population -- many parties are turning to Mayawati to forge an alliance ahead of general elections.

Now the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh -- the country’s most populous state -- may be a front runner for prime minister if there’s a hung parliament and neither Modi’s Bharatiya Janata