Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NEWDELHI108
2009-01-16 13:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:  

MAYAWATI CANCELS BIRTHDAY PARTY, CASH GIFTS STILL

Tags:  PGOV PREL SOCI PINR KISL IN 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000108 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI PINR KISL IN
SUBJECT: MAYAWATI CANCELS BIRTHDAY PARTY, CASH GIFTS STILL
WELCOME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000108

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI PINR KISL IN
SUBJECT: MAYAWATI CANCELS BIRTHDAY PARTY, CASH GIFTS STILL
WELCOME


1. (SBU) Summary: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati canceled her January 15
birthday party ostensibly because of the Mumbai attacks. In
previous years, the now fifty-three year old Mayawati threw
multiple lavish parties for herself that were noteworthy for
the large number of cash "donations" from sycophantic party
members, civil servants and business people. But the
December 2008 murder of a district engineer by a BSP
legislator during a collection shakedown for Mayawati's
birthday "gift" forced the BSP leader to tone down her
celebration. Instead, at a short ceremony she announced a
budget-busting series of welfare programs and public works
projects totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. While the
more or less open extortion-cum-donation fundraising of the
BSP remains a standard facet of UP politics, Mayawati's
decision to have a low-key birthday was probably a wise move.
She still quietly collected millions of dollars, but stepped
back from a possible corruption tipping point beyond which
she may have seen erosion of her Dalit base. The brazen
December extortion murder (Mayawati naturally denies it was
linked to birthday fundraising) demonstrates the nature of UP
politics, and provided her arch UP rival, the Samajwadi
Party, plenty of ammunition to protest her rule and rally its
troops ahead of national elections, due this April-May. End
Summary.

Fundraising Birthdays
--------------


2. (U) In past years, Mayawati celebrated her January 15
birthday with large parties in Lucknow and Delhi. Ranking
party officials vied for a chance to feed Mayawati a piece of
her birthday cake. The BSP terms the day "fundraising day,"
and party members make donations to Mayawati directly, often
tens of thousands of dollars apiece. With the BSP enjoying a
full majority in the UP assembly, party legislators can rely
on generous donations from cowering civil servants, fearful
of demotion or transfer, and local business people, who must
deal with the state government on a daily basis.

Extortion Turns Deadly
--------------


3. (U) According to press accounts, on December 23 BSP
legislator Shekhar Tiwari visited district engineer M.K.
Gupta and demanded tribute for Mayawati's birthday. Gupta
either refused, or hadn't raised the funds himself, and was
tortured and killed in his home by Tiwari and two cronies.
Gupta's wife, who was shut in a bathroom by the assailant,
heard her husband's pleas for mercy as Tiwari and his friends
worked over Gupta thoroughly. They then dumped Gupta's body
at the nearest police station. Authorities arrested Tiwari
though he claims innocence. The investigation is ongoing.
Mayawati denies the killing was related to her birthday
fundraising. Regardless, the scandal sheds light on the
corrupt nature of UP politics.

Low Key for Fifty-Three
--------------


4. (U) With the alleged linkage of the Gupta murder to
extortion for Mayawati's birthday, the opposition Samajwadi
Party (SP) ensured the scandal remained in the news. Since
the story broke, SP leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar
Singh have repeatedly called for the Chief Minister's
dismissal and SP cadres have staged numerous street protests.
Clearly feeling more heat than ususal, Mayawati canceled her
public birthday parties. That does not mean, however, she
canceled the fundraising. In a short ceremony at her
residence, she tried to change the subject with the
announcement of several new social programs. The two largest
provide for the regularization of urban slum dwellings and
USD 500 payments to economically disadvantaged girls who
complete high school. With an eye towards the coming

NEW DELHI 00000108 002 OF 002


national polls, Mayawati made sure to emphasize that these
programs reward all castes, not just Dalits.

UP Politics Exposed,
Mayawati Remains Focused on Delhi
--------------


5. (SBU) Comment: While political corruption in UP shocks
few, the alleged murder of M.K. Gupta by a sitting member of
the state assembly exhibits a new brutality. Even Mayawati -
a first rate egomaniac - felt compelled to cancel her
birthday party on perhaps her favorite day of the year when
the sycophantic fealty of BSP party members reaches its apex.
Politically, the cancellation decision was probably a good
idea, and no leader has ever been hurt handing out sops to
voters. So the BSP did not celebrate "fundraising day," but
plenty of funds were still raised. They will be put to use
as Mayawati attempts to shore up her image over the next four
months before national elections in April and May. This
latest scandal has likely not dimmed her view of her chances,
or her desire, to become Prime Minister. End Comment.
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