THE NEW UTTAR PRADESH GOVERNMENT WANTS CLOSE U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002840

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS KDEM SCUL SOCI EIND EINV ENRG
ECNN, IN
SUBJECT: THE NEW UTTAR PRADESH GOVERNMENT WANTS CLOSE U.S.
TIES

Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D)

1, (C) Summary: In the aftermath of the recent Uttar
Pradesh (UP) election, Chief Minister Mayawati quickly moved
to establish her BSP government, implement an ambitious
shake-up of the government, restore law and order and lay the
groundwork for economic development. During the election
campaign, Mayawati's right hand man and BSP General Secretary
SC Mishra met several times with EMBoffs and signaled his
party's intention to establish close working relations with
the Mission and the USG should it come to power. With an
unassailable majority in the Legislative Assembly, Mayawati
could complete a full five-year term in office and implement
a long-term program to revive the troubled state. On June
15, a four-person Embassy delegation (Polcouns, Poloff,
Deputy AID Director, and AIDoff) went to the UP capital
Lucknow to lay the groundwork for what could possibly develop
into a strong working relationship between the USG and
India's most populous state. The visit received ample and
positive press coverage in both the English and vernacular
presses and on television, with Mishra and UP Speaker Sukhdev

V. Rajvahr pledging their government's total commitment to
cooperation. Embassy plans to send a larger delegation to
Lucknow in September for a week-long public diplomacy
outreach program that could include a meeting with Mayawati.
End Summary.

Power Packed Agenda
--------------


2. (C) While in Lucknow, the Embassy delegation had ample
opportunities to meet with a cross-section of the state's
movers and shakers and opinion leaders, including
high-ranking leaders of the ruling BSP. They attended a
public event sponsored by the Innovations in Family Planning
Services Project (IFPS),had tea with a group of
approximately 10 local journalists, toured a prominent
madrassa established by the Barelvi sect of Islam, met with
prominent local businessman and BSP financial backer Mukesh
Jashnani, met Additional Home Secretary Javaid Ahmed,
addressed a public gathering of the Indo-US Friendship Group,
and had a personal meeting with BSP General Secretary SC
Mishra. USAID officials met separately with Health Minister
Secretary Anand Kumar Misra. The "Chief Guest" at the

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Indo-US Friendship Group event was Sukhdev V. Rajvahr, the
Speaker of the UP Legislative Assembly. Rajvahr shared the
dais with PolCouns, the Deputy AID Director and Poloff.
Although not an English speaker, Rajvahr addressed the
audience in English, publicly committing his government to
doing whatever necessary to smooth the way for close ties
with the USG. Mishra made similar pledges during his private
meeting, ensuring the delegation that Mayawati was looking
forward to a future meeting with the Ambassador.

Changed Atmospherics
--------------


3. (C) Previous visits to Lucknow were characterized by doom
and gloom. Most Lucknow contacts complained about the
general lack of law and order in the state, as well as the
all-pervasive corruption, lack of economic development and
declining social and economic indicators. The atmospherics
had changed completely during this visit. Interlocutors
almost universally agreed that Mayawati had gotten off to a
strong start and was addressing their concerns. They pointed
to a number of positive developments that had given them room
for encouragement and agreed that UP stands poised at a
crucial juncture and has been presented with an opportunity
to turn around.

--Mayawati almost immediately cleansed the state police force
of "gunmen" loyal to former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh
Yadav. Many were inducted by the previous government without

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testing or vetting and were members of Singh's Yadav caste.
The reformed police force had begun to arrest the notorious
criminals operating in collusion with the previous
administration. Many professional gangsters have gone
underground or "left the state." The streets were now safe
and businessmen no longer face extortion from mafias working
for the SP.

--She had jailed one MP and one MLA for corruption and other
charges. The MP had gone underground to avoid arrest for
forcefully expropriating land from villagers and bulldozing
their homes. She ordered him to appear at her residence,
where he was arrested by waiting policemen.

--Several SP MLAs approached Mayawati and asked to join her
party. She announced that she had done background checks on
them and that most faced felony charges and she would not
induct criminals into her party. Mayawati further stated
that the BSP would not play "the defection game" of buying
MLAs from other parties to shore up her majority. Those
wanting to cross over to the BSP would first have to pass
background checks, then resign from the other party and run
for re-election on a BSP ticket.

--Mayawati dispatched her public works Minister to inspect
projects in Lucknow. Unlike previous Ministers, he went
inside pipelines underground. Once inside the pipes he
discovered that the concrete was little more than sand and
the pipes disintegrated when touched. He then measured the
thickness of asphalt on city streets and determined it to be
only one third what was contracted for. Concluding that 17
civil service engineers had defrauded the UP government of
three billion rupees ($7.8 million),he ordered their
immediate arrest.

High Level Assurances
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4. (C) SC Mishra told the delegation that the BSP was "fully
committed" to its economic agenda and instituting good
governance and that everyone in the government had been told
to be prepared for "18 hour days" until things were up and
running. The Chief Minister purportedly calls government
offices at random to ensure that the civil servants are at
their desks and at work. Anyone unaccounted for faces
dismissal. Mishra noted that he had told Mayawati prior to
the BSP election victory that it would take some time to turn
things around, but he had since discovered that things "were
easier" than he had anticipated. According to Mishra, the
new government was changing the focus to the countryside and
was ensuring that rural schools were up and running, all
teachers present and at work, had raised teachers' salaries
and benefits to ensure performance, ensured that rural health
clinics were open, and had opened a recruitment drive to
convince good doctors to serve in the villages. The
principal focus is primary education, to ensure that the
state has an educated workforce. The BSP government also
plans to open new universities throughout the state, and
would like "tie-ups" with American universities. The state
government is also committed to providing the necessary basic
infrastructure and is implementing a plan to overcome the
power shortfall by building new powerplants and ending power
theft and transmission losses. Mishra was confident that
Uttar Pradesh would become an attractive destination for US
investors when corruption had been brought under control,
infrastructure needs met (especially power generation),law
and order established and maintained, and the workforce
educated.

National Vision
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5. (C) Mishra then confirmed that the BSP planned to make

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Mayawati Prime Minister in the upcoming 2009 election. He
claimed that the party was expanding into other states and
planned to pick up large numbers of MPs in the contest.
Mishra emphasized that the BSP had demonstrated that high
castes and Dalits could work together and that the goal was
to create a "casteless society" in India. The BSP was also
committed to secularism and would combat the communal BJP and
create a grand coalition of all castes and religions into a
party dedicated to social justice.

"America Week" in Lucknow
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6. (C) The Embassy delegation shared with the BSP its plans
for an "America Week" to take place in early September.
During the week, a large delegation with members from various
sections of the Mission will meet with the media, academics,
business leaders and the government. Mishra assured the
delegation that the BSP would welcome such an initiative and
that an ambassadorial meeting with Mayawati would also be
welcomed. Informed that the Chief Minister was planning a
trip to California, PolCouns also informed Mishra that the
Embassy would like to ensure that Mayawati would be
appropriately received should she plan to travel to the US.
Mishra thanked the delegation for its consideration and noted
that the BSP looked forward to close and long-term ties with
the USG.

Comment: One Step at a Time
--------------


7. (C) Although this is Mayawati's fourth sojourn as Chief
Minister, this is the first time that she enjoys a working
majority and the promise of a protracted term in government.
Her other tenures were cut short by the demands of coalition
politics. While she has an opportunity to accomplish great
things, this relative inexperience could undermine her good
intentions. Previously, Mayawati's principal concern was
managing shaky coalitions and remaining in power. Her party
was never in a position to govern. This time, most voters
seem happy to have a stable government and to enjoy some
security from rampant criminality and corruption. This
ensures that Mayawati will enjoy a longer than usual
honeymoon period. Mishra was correct, however, to focus on
producing quick results, as the initial enthusiasm can turn
to disappointment and then anger if the BSP fails to produce.
Mishra's nonchalance regarding the deep-rooted obstacles
facing a UP revival was disconcerting. In our estimation,
should Mayawati decide to focus her efforts on becoming Prime
Minister in 18 months, she will not be able to succeed in
turning around a troubled state like UP. We would have been
more reassured if the BSP leadership had put aside plans to
take power in Delhi until the 2014 elections and used this
interval to focus on the very difficult task at hand.


8. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD