IS MAYAWATI THE INDIAN BARACK OBAMA??

There are recent reports suggesting the fact that madam Mayawati could be the new Indian Obama. Something that maybe her PR guys are pursuing aggressively to fulfill her dreams of being the Indian prime minister.

Mayawati and Obama do share similar origins. Both of them do come from minorities which have a history of being significantly oppressed. They made it to the top inspite of various obstacles along the way is indeed commendable.

However the similarities if anything end there. For starters both of them have a completely different persona. I find it really difficult to see Mayawati in any way close to the style espoused by Obama. They r just too different in the way they carry themselves. Her autocratic functioning in a democratic setup bugs me. She runs her party as her own personal fiefdom.

The question of integrity too looms large. Barack Obama yet has a clean image about himself and to my knowledge has nothing against him which questions his integrity. Mayawati on the other hand has a string of corruption cases leveled against her for every term she has been in the office.

Another significant difference is the style of the campaigns pursued by both camps. The Obama campaign for the entirety of it was brilliantly managed. Where personal issues and smear campaign were kept out. The Uttar Pradesh campaigns are fraught with the politics of vendetta. With Mayawati indulging in the worst of it. The recent episode of her coming in the ways of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi trying to ruin their rallies was in utter bad taste. So have been her run-ins with Mulayam Singh Yadav, so intent at cutting each other’s stock that the state suffers at every step one decides to act against another.

The most important difference in my eyes however is the fact that Obama on his course to presidency has talked all the while about transcending race. He has never shied away from being a black, but it has always been going beyond it and presenting a united front. Mayawati however never has come down her high “dalit ki beti” horse ever. Till the day she wisens up to know that only that singular quality wont be enough to prop her up for the top dog’s job she will remain constricted to U.P. fortunately.

Yes circumstances did catapult her to national fame sometime back, yes she maybe a maverick of sorts in her own state coming for behind to lead her party to a huge win recently, but when it comes to the national stage she is at best a wannabe who I hope will always remain so.

Maybe I am looking through my narrow prism at the occurrence of events, but I don’t see India being led my Mayawati and I might go a step further and say I don’t want to see Mayawati lead India with her style of leading which divides people on the basis of caste to serve her ends.