Mayawati: Spent more than Rs 20 crore on her 51st birthday, first CM to complete her tenure after 1960 – 10 Pointers

Mayawati’s name has been resonating in the politics of Uttar Pradesh for decades as the biggest symbol of strength, discipline and Dalit politics. His birthday on January 15 was never just a private occasion, but had become a day of public display of strength for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In the 2000s, this date was celebrated from Lucknow to the entire state with huge rallies, shows of strength and messages of loyalty, the echo of which was heard even in national politics.

Today the same birthday is celebrated in a relatively peaceful atmosphere as “Public Welfare Day”. No grand rallies, no events worth crores, just organizational meetings, messages and limited activities. This change is not just a symbol of the event, but of Mayawati’s entire political journey. Where once there was the pinnacle of power, now the tone of politics seems more restrained and limited.

10 big things related to Mayawati

1. Political successor of Kanshiram: Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram declared Mayawati as his political successor in 2001. This decision was a historic turning point in BSP politics, which brought Mayawati directly to the center of national Dalit leadership.

2. Became the national president of BSP: In 2003, Mayawati was elected national president of Bahujan Samaj Party for the first time. Since then, the ideological and organizational direction of the party continued to be decided to a large extent by his decisions.

3. Became Chief Minister for the first time in 1995: In June 1995, Mayawati became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time. The Prime Minister of that time P.V. Narasimha Rao called him “the miracle of democracy”, which reflects his extraordinary journey in Indian politics.

4. Took power in UP four times: Mayawati served four terms as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh – 1995, 1997, 2002–03 and 2007–2012. This in itself makes him one of the most influential leaders of the state.

5. Became Chief Minister also with the support of BJP: In 1997 and 2002, Mayawati formed governments with the external support of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Although these governments could not last long, these alliances changed the direction of UP politics.

6. First CM to complete full term: Mayawati completed her tenure from 2007 to 2012 and became the first UP Chief Minister since 1960 who ran the government for five full years.

7. First woman Chief Minister from Scheduled Caste: Mayawati is the first woman Chief Minister of the country coming from Scheduled Caste. This is the reason why crores of people give her respect and affection by the name of “sister”.

8. Famous for organizing grand events while in power: In the 2000s, grand celebrations, garlands of currency notes and expensive celebrations were in the news on his birthday. In 2006, the expenditure on the 51st birthday celebrations was estimated at more than Rs 20 crore.

9. Changed role after 2012 defeat: After losing the elections from Samajwadi Party in 2012, Mayawati left the post of Chief Minister and after some time was elected to Rajya Sabha. After this, his politics became more limited to Parliament and organizations.

10. Resignation from Rajya Sabha and big message: In 2018, Mayawati resigned from the Rajya Sabha after being prevented from speaking while raising the issue of atrocities on Dalits in Saharanpur. He described this as a symbol of suppressing the Dalit voice, which gave a big political message at the national level.