•UNNI RAJEN SHANKER: Do you think anti-incumbency as a factor is over in Indian politics?

There was a period till 2004 when state governments were starved of funds. The Centre did not give them the money that was due to them because of recommendations of the Finance Commission. In the last five years, because of better tax collections and better GDP, more than 4-5 times central assistance has been given to state governments. So anti-incumbency was more pre-2004 than post-2004 because post-2004, CMs had much more funds to deliver.

•RAVISH TIWARI: How do you view the BSP’s future? Will it be confined to UP?

Mayawatiji is really not being able to deliver what she had promised. She is now saying that people remember the Roman Empire because of their massive buildings. So people will remember Mayawati because of the massive buildings that she is constructing. She is not delivering to the people who put her there—the Dalits. Whenever Rahul Gandhi has gone to a Dalit house, she has been the first one to react. We always ask the BSP, what have you given to the Dalits? And the answer is nothing. I met a very senior leader who left BSP and started working with us. He said that from Sarvajan Hitaye, Sarvajan Sukhaye (universal good and happiness for all), the BSP’s rule has become Sarvajan Dukhaye aur Dalal Sukhaye (universal misery and happiness for contractors). The media attributed her victory to very clever social engineering but there was no social engineering. She won because she was the only one to speak up against Mulayam Singh Yadav’s misrule.

... contd.