Date:21/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/21/stories/2008082155291300.htm

National

Mayawati scotches speculation on successor

Atiq Khan

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has scotched speculation on the name of her heir apparent, when she appointed Alok Kumar Verma national vice-president of the Bahujan Samaj Party. He was a virtual non-entity till now.

The Chief Minister’s decision was made known in a press release sent by a BSP spokesman late Tuesday night. He rubbished reports in a section of the press that the other vice-president, Raja Ram, is indeed Ms. Mayawati’s heir apparent.

Ms. Mayawati had on August 9 announced that her successor would be a Dalit, 18 - 20 years younger than her and belonging to the Chamar sub-caste. She said he was being groomed for the top party job. The Chief Minister said the name was contained in a sealed envelope, kept in the safe custody of two of her closest aides, and would be disclosed at the appropriate time.

Mr. Raja Ram, an MLC from Azamgarh district and coming from the Chamar sub-caste, fitted the bill. This apparently led to speculation on his being the possible successor .

The former Samajwadi Party MPs, Shahid Siddiqui and S.P. Singh Baghel, were made national general secretaries of the BSP. Ram Shankar Pal was appointed State general secretary.

The spokesman said that keeping in view the coming Lok Sabha elections and the elections to five State Assemblies, a detailed discussion was held, at the BSP’s national executive meeting here on August 10, on extending the party’s mass base to sarv samaj. Ms. Mayawati, who presided, issued directives for increasing the party’s support base with emphasis on replicating the U.P. model of “social engineering” in other States.