<b>Aditi Phadnis:</b> Can Mayawati storm back to power in UP?

Her win would be less about her views on social reform and more with sins of omission of her rivals

Polling in Sitapur concluded earlier this week. There is an interesting factoid about this region. It has the highest concentration of Dalits among all districts in Uttar Pradesh, constituting as much as 32 per cent of the population. In the 2012 Assembly elections, the turnout was 65.6 per cent. This time, at 68.9 per cent, it is a little higher but the highest turnout in UP so far. In 2012, Mayawati got 32 per cent of the vote but just two seats from this region. The Samajwadi Party got 34 per cent of the vote but seven seats. 

This can