However, there is another faction in the BSP that sees Mishra’s new role as an indication of the trust Mayawati places in him.

According to sources, the BSP chief has been worried over the growing number of PILs challenging her government’s decisions in court.

“The lawyers who represent the state government in the high court and the Supreme Court are selected by Mishraji,” says one leader, arguing that winning these cases was a matter of prestige for Mishra. He adds that the BSP general secretary was well aware of his limits in politics.

Sources add that Mayawati has also assured Mishra’s supporters in both the ministry and bureaucracy that their position was secure irrespective of the outcome of the legal battles.