http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=157587
Maya triumph leaves Paswan cold... Statesman News Service NEW DELHI, May 28: One person in the UPA spectrum not impressed by the triumph of Miss Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh is the Lok Janshakti Party leader, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan. There is an unease in the Paswan camp over the importance being given to Ms Mayawati by the Congress in the aftermath of her victory. Refusing to accept that her success is on account of any 'social engineering', Mr Paswan said that in reality her victory was an example of "political opportunism". Mr Paswan feels Ms Mayawati won mainly due to the strong anti-incumbency wave against the Samajwadi Party. It will not have any long-term political impact, he said. There is no love lost between the two leaders; both Mr Paswan and Ms Mayawati are competing for the same Dalit support base. During the election campaign in UP, where the LJP drew a blank losing most seats to the BSP, Mr Paswan had assailed Ms Mayawati and described her as the "biggest enemy of Dalits". He had said after "humiliating" the upper castes for a long time she was now hobnobbing with them for political gains. After her victory Ms Mayawati had her revenge. At the public reception accorded to her last week in Delhi, Mr Paswan was a special target of Ms Mayawati. He was the only leader she named publicly. Not even Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav or his man Friday Amar Singh were more stridently berated by her. She also raked up Mr Paswan's personal life Ms Mayawati described the LJP leader as a "rank opportunist who becomes a minister in any government that is formed at the Centre". She attacked him for terming the BSP as Brahmin Samaj Party.
