On the eve of Mayawati’s ‘Sawdhan Raho Aage Badho’ rally on Tuesday in Lucknow’s Ambedkar Udyan, over 10,000-odd BSP workers from across the country are already here. Settled in tents on the banks of the river Gomti, divided as per the states they are from, the workers, in different accents, some struggling with Hindi, confess to the same dream: of one day ruling Delhi.

They are unanimous that the dream will come to pass, that one day the BSP will replace others in the national politics as it is the only party that is growing as others stagnate.

There is a contingent from Madhya Pradesh —- in strongest numbers, reflective of the party’s growing presence in the state —- and Maharashtra. But workers are here to hear Mayawati from Himachal Pradesh as well as distant Kerala.

After the BSP supremo took over the reins of Uttar Pradesh, she had told her partymen that there was no room for complacency and that preparations should start for the 2009 general election. Today, when elections appear to be around the corner, the presence of BSP workers from across the country in Lucknow should be a shot in the arm for her.

The hand of Mayawati’s close lieutenant S C Mishra is apparent at the Madhya Pradesh tent, which has the maximum workers. BSP leader Tribhuwan Tewari is here, as is Dinesh Pratap Singh — evidence that Mayawati’s social engineering experiment is hitting the right keys in the state.

The importance the BSP attaches to Madhya Pradesh is also evident from the number of senior party leaders dropping in at this tent. The party’s national vice-president, Rajaram, has been a constant presence, talking about the strategy for the Lok Sabha elections, while BSP ministers visiting the camp also make it a point to stop by.

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