ratheetheraist
February 10th, 2006, 06:25 PM
In a country that is known to celebrate a festival on almost every day of the year, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's birthday adds yet another occasion to the January calendar.
The firebrand leader has clearly believed in approaching the half century of her life in some style (she turned 50 on January 15 this year), with her birthday bashes in the last few years hogging media headlines—though for all the wrong reasons.
But then Behenji has never been the one to shy away from controversy. The opposition parties crying themselves hoarse about the multi-crore celebrations only seem to have added to the revelries.
From large stadiums and maidans being used as venues, special songs blaring out Mayawati's praises and elephants glorifying the BSP election symbol, to huge cakes, garlands and laddoos, the bashes have had all elements of a Bollywood-style extravaganza.
Big bucks
But what really takes the cake in these birthday parties is the "presents" that the BSP faithfuls bring for their leader. Mayawati has repeatedly used her birthday as an occasion to ask party members to raise funds.
In-fact, one of the recent birthdays was titled Swabhimaan Diwas, and party members were directed to raise funds through specially-printed coupons.
Differing "targets" have been fixed for party members of various ranks to rake in funds, which run into crores at the end of the final tally....
This year's celebrations turned out to be slightly different from the previous few as the birthday bash was organised on a somewhat smaller scale. The coupons too were done away with. Instead, behenji asked partymen to present her with drafts, in her own name.
It was also made clear that she would have the ultimate authority to decide where this money would be spent. But that clearly didn't deter the party members, who thought there was nothing wrong with the procedure.
Many have now suggested that the unique fund-raising should solicit some attention from the Election Commission. But how effective those demands will be, and whether they will prompt Mayawati to tone down the exercise somewhat, will only be clear next year.
The firebrand leader has clearly believed in approaching the half century of her life in some style (she turned 50 on January 15 this year), with her birthday bashes in the last few years hogging media headlines—though for all the wrong reasons.
But then Behenji has never been the one to shy away from controversy. The opposition parties crying themselves hoarse about the multi-crore celebrations only seem to have added to the revelries.
From large stadiums and maidans being used as venues, special songs blaring out Mayawati's praises and elephants glorifying the BSP election symbol, to huge cakes, garlands and laddoos, the bashes have had all elements of a Bollywood-style extravaganza.
Big bucks
But what really takes the cake in these birthday parties is the "presents" that the BSP faithfuls bring for their leader. Mayawati has repeatedly used her birthday as an occasion to ask party members to raise funds.
In-fact, one of the recent birthdays was titled Swabhimaan Diwas, and party members were directed to raise funds through specially-printed coupons.
Differing "targets" have been fixed for party members of various ranks to rake in funds, which run into crores at the end of the final tally....
This year's celebrations turned out to be slightly different from the previous few as the birthday bash was organised on a somewhat smaller scale. The coupons too were done away with. Instead, behenji asked partymen to present her with drafts, in her own name.
It was also made clear that she would have the ultimate authority to decide where this money would be spent. But that clearly didn't deter the party members, who thought there was nothing wrong with the procedure.
Many have now suggested that the unique fund-raising should solicit some attention from the Election Commission. But how effective those demands will be, and whether they will prompt Mayawati to tone down the exercise somewhat, will only be clear next year.