“I have not adjusted Mishra’s relatives in my Government on his recommendation or request,” she said at a press conference, “but because of his sacrifice, dedication and commitment to me. To give Mishra a dignified place in my government was my moral responsibility.”

She also insisted that Mishra, who is the BSP’s Brahmin face, had been given the Cabinet seat because he had to counsel the Government on some vital issues. “Mishra will resign in two and a half months once the responsibilities he has been given are fulfilled,” Mayawati promised.

Elaborating on Mishra’s “devotion” to her, the Chief Minister recalled how he had stood by her through various problems — be it charges against her over the Taj Heritage Corridor, the disproportionate assets case against her, the BSP rebellion or Kanshi Ram’s death —- at the cost of own family.

While Mishra’s sister Abha is Chairman of the State Commission for Women, his cousin Anil Mishra is Chairman of the Pollution Control Board. However, the controversy started when another cousin of Mishra, Antu Mishra, was inducted into the Cabinet despite the fact that he was defeated in the Assembly elections.

Mayawati justified his appointment by citing the case of senior party leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who was also defeated in the Assembly elections but got a seat in the Cabinet. “I inducted them because they had worked extensively for the party during the elections,” she said.

Mayawati lambasted the media for targeting Mishra, the new poster boy of the party, saying people who were afraid that their misdeeds in the previous regime would come out in the open were behind the false propaganda.

She also made it clear to her detractors that if any leader of her party was opposed by outsiders, she would make sure that he got extra support and backing of the party. As first step, she said, Antu Mishra would be fielded from the Farrukhabad Assembly constituency, which is lying vacant since Vijay Singh was expelled from the party.