Times of India

Lucknow/New Delhi, Aug 10: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday announced she had chosen her political heir, identifying him as a person belonging to ‘chamar’ sub-caste of the Scheduled Castes and as someone 18-20 years younger to her. 

The nameless announcement, which she claimed to have put in an envelope and handed over to two confidants to be opened at an opportune time, is loaded with enough political significance to set the political bazaar abuzz. 

Mayawati told a massive workers’ gathering in Lucknow that she would not name the heir lest the rivals start creating roadblocks for him. Her statement has triggered a wave of speculation within the Dalit outfit and outside, with the name of a legislator being bandied about. 

Significantly, to many it signalled a change of choice. Mayawati had, in August 2006, after being re-elected as the chief of BSP, publicly stated that someone belonging to the same caste sub-group 30-35 years younger than her could take over the reins in the event of a contingency.