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 Demolition and reconstruction are part of her political agenda,” said a senior officer considered close to Mayawati. He was talking of the chief minister’s fascination for demolishing and rebuilding structures—some, like the Ambedkar Stadium in Gomti Nagar built during her tenure—but his remarks, though unwittingly, said a lot about Mayawati’s political march. During the one year that she has been in power in the present term—Mayawati assumed office on May 13 last year—she has been on a roll. Of three parliamentary and five assembly by-elections her party contested since she assumed office on May 13 last year, the BSP won all, barring one. She has also made her political ambitions clear: her party is in the fray in several states going to the poll this year.

Mayawati is also talking of improving infrastructure, with her government going in for Public Private Partnership (PPP) in a big way. “Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed with private investors for building and maintaining roads, bridges, hospitals and educational institutions, besides power generation. The Ganga Expressway is the biggest PPP project, though it has to go a long way,” claim her officers. Even the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the Indian Industries Association (IIA) have lauded the present government’s efforts at boosting private investment in the state.

Mayawati also has a way of dealing with criticisms, especially over the money being “diverted” to memorials and museums—she has gone ahead with four major re-constructions in the name of Ambedkar and Kanshiram. But this criticism has not deterred Mayawati. Her supporters say the criticism on memorials have sent across a positive message among the Dalits that she is working to bring them dignity and respect even in the face of severe criticism.

The Opposition in the state has been working overtime to corner the government. But Mayawati has, so far, managed to beat them to their plan. Before the Opposition can level any charge, she quickly rolls back her decision. For instance, though the industry launded the government’s agriculture policy, a small noise by the SP and Mayawati quickly withdrew the policy. She reacted in a similar manner when the SP launched an agitation against her ban on students’ union elections, quickly lifting the ban and leaving the SP with nothing to protest. Before the BJP could attack the BSP government on Periyar’s book, Sachchi Ramayan, Mayawati kept her party out of the issue. Cut-outs of Periyar that had come up at the venue of a BSP rally on October 9 last year vanished suddenly and this year out of four big events of the party, Periyar can’t be seen in any of them.

Throughout her present term, she has also ensured that she had the upper hand—not just among her partymen but among her opponents too. After a row with farmers’ leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, she made sure that Tikait apologised for using “foul language”. “Her message is clear: no one will be spared,” claimed a party insider. And in a sign of her national ambitions, she openly took on Rahul Gandhi—seen as the future face of the Congress.