ISAS Briefs

Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest state. In fa ct, with a population of around 180 million, it is also larger than most countries across the globe. It’s no wonder then to hear the epithet, ‘When Uttar Pradesh sneezes, India catches a chil l’. And what a sneeze it was as the voters of Uttar Pradesh elected the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of, by and for the formerly untouchable dalits, to govern the state with the first single party majority since 1991. The BSP is led by the inimitable Mayawati, who has just taken oath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time but, for the first time, with a majority for her own party.