Sacked Karnataka BSP spokesperson alleges there is no space for Brahmins in the party

From 'Tilak, taraju aur talwar, maro unko jhoote char' (Beat up Brahmins, Vaishyas and Kshatriyas) to 'Haathi nahin Ganesh hai... Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh hai' (It is not the elephant but Lord Ganesh, symbolising all gods and communities.)

BSP supremo Mayawati's social engineering which helped her sweep the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in 2007 has started betraying cracks, as a number of upper caste leaders, are now complaining that the Behenji is completely ignoring them.

Latest to join a team of detractors is YN Sharma, spokesperson of the party's Karnataka unit, who was sacked following his remarks regarding the multi-crore garland presented to her at a Lucknow rally. "This is the crown BSP gives to its Brahmin members," an apparent hurt Sharma told MiD DAY over phone from Bangalore. Sharma, in his comments on Monday, told some mediapersons that it was not a garland of currency notes and was instead made out of flowers from Mysore forests that the party workers from Bangalore had presented her. The BSP suspended him on Wednesday.

In fact, some time back party leaders have also accused Uttar Pradesh chief minister of cold shouldering her long time confidante Satish Chandra Mishra, a Brahmin. Mishra is party general secretary and represented Mayawati in the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case against her.
Sharma was also peeved over the fact that there was no avenue in the party where he could air his grievances as Mayawati is "too difficult to reach".

"It's very tough to meet and talk to her," he said.
When MiD DAY asked him about the garland, the suspended leader steered clear of giving any direct reply. He said he doesn't know whether the garland was made in Mysore or Lucknow.
"I know nothing about it. The garland was made in Lucknow only. Party leaders from Uttar Pradesh only have presented it to the chief minister," he said.

Asked about his next move, Sharma said he would like to join a party that espouse people's issues. He said he has nothing to say to Mayawati as she and the coterie of leaders around her are "autocratic.''
"But I would like to request Mayawati's political advisers to help her take the Bahujan Samaj in the right direction," he said.