Book-Keeper's Miscalculation

Mayawati has antagonised her right -hand man. Siddiqui's ouster from BSP triggers fresh cirsis in the party amid slide.

 

- Pragya Singh

Kitaab and hisaab—books and accounts—are the words resonating in Uttar Pradesh’s politics ever since BSP supremo Mayawati threw longtime loyalist Naseemuddin Siddiqui out for “anti-party” activities. Last week, Siddiqui and his son Afzal were sacked, but they exited kicking and screaming rather than fading out. Since then, Siddiqui senior has been drawing great attention to himself and Mayawati by talking incessantly about alleged financial shenanigans within the Bahujan Samaj Party.

In the recent UP assembly elections, the BSP gave 103 tickets to Muslim candidates, but their showing was remarkably poor as the party’s overall tally sank to its lowest ever: 19 seats. Now, as the 1984­founded party appeared to be rethinking that strategy, Siddiqui has presented ‘evidence’ of wrongdoing within the BSP and alleged that there is no room for Muslims in the BSP either.

The evidence Siddiqui presented on the first charge of financial impropriety is, oddly, a series of his own taped conversations with Mayawati. These deal purportedly with payments due to the BSP from several western UP candidates who got tickets in the latest polls. Theseare referred to as ‘membership’ payments, which are apparently due when these tapes were made. Mayawati says the recordings have been edited to reflect poorly on her—she is apparently heard demanding hisaab or accounts, for the kitaab (membership books) the party gives to all members as a convention.

The conversations offer a juicy tidbit of what has for long been largely rumoured about Mayawati’s party. The go­between for these unpaid dues, it seems clear, is Siddiqui senior himself. But in a twist, he paraded in public those very candidates from western UP this week, and they have supported his claims and strongly denied that they owe any money.