Jobs were allotted to each minister, parliamentarian and legislator well in advance. Coordinators of the Bhaichara Committees were instructed to mobilise their community in the party’s favour in all these states. A clear-cut directive was conveyed on behalf of the party chief with a strict warning: “do not violate the Election Commission guidelines”.

Working much ahead of its rival parties, the BSP chalked out its strategy and started its poll campaign from Durg (Bhilai) in Chhattisgarh on November 9. Until November 25, Mayawati had addressed 14 public meetings — two in Chhattisgarh, 10 in Madhya Pradesh and two in Delhi. Her schedule is fixed until December 1 when she will concentrate on Delhi and Rajasthan.

There is no deviation from the scheduled programmes. “One thing the BSP supremo is averse to, is deviating from her scheduled programmes”, claims a party-man. He recalls the incident when arrangements were made for the party chief to stay at Khajuraho after the public meetings, but she preferred to fly back to Lucknow. “Behenji addressed 10 meetings in five days in a row, starting from November 18. Everyday she was here in the morning, addressed two gatherings and went back to UP in the evening”, says Narmada Prasad Ahirwar, party president from Madhya Pradesh. The BSP has fielded 228 candidates for 230 seats in MP. The party is contesting on all the assembly seats in Chhattisgarh (90), Delhi (70) and Rajasthan (200).

The BSP’s poll strategy is simple. Instead of depending on her trusted kitchen cabinet comprising Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Babu Singh Kushwaha, Ramveer Upadhyay and Swami Prasad Maurya, Mayawati is said to depend on a few old party men, unknown faces for the outside world but who work as a trusted link between the party chief and her officebearers. “These about half a dozen unknown faces surround Mayawati and work as nondescript workers. But they are the ones who directly convey the instructions of the party chief to the office-bearers and coordinators, besides getting direct feedback from the field for the party head”, says a party source.

What has kept the party ahead of the rest of the political outfits, according to party sources, is the poll preparation in advance, unlike other parties that formulate their strategy after the elections are announced. “We are preparing for elections for the last four and a half years through our Bhaichara Committees. For the last six months, community conventions are regularly taking place”, confirms Doongar Ram Gaider, party state president, Rajasthan.

Gaider claims that even the candidates were given the green signal about six months ago — again unlike other parties that declare their candidates at the last moment. Since each member of the party is given clear-cut instructions, there is no overlapping, party sources claim. In her campaign for the Assembly polls, Mayawati has changed the party slogan from “Jitni jiski sankhya bhari, utni uski bhagidari” to “Jitni jiski taiyari, utni uski bhagidari”. Her focus is on preparation, and not on numbers.