It's happy birthday once more in Maya land. The BSP government will complete one year in office on Saturday, and this time the Chief Minister wants to keep the press in good humour. Tomorrow Mayawati will be hosting a dinner for editors of newspapers published from Lucknow and tomorrow the lesser hacks have been invited to high tea. In between there will be a press conference at 11 am.Though no mega events have been planned, unlike the day she was celebrating her own birthday, the focus has been on highlighting the achievements of her government through every possible means — from hoardings to mobile exhibitions and street theatre.The information department has dispatched three dance drama troupes — in the role of town criers — along with mobile exhibition vans to tell people, especially those living in the villages, about her achievements. While these teams will tour for a week beginning tomorrow, three other groups will perform at 18 places in Lucknow on May 3, the day she became CM for the third time last year.A 10-minute programme will be telecast by DD at 7.20 pm tomorrow to showcase her one year as the ‘‘best one’’. The BJP doesn’t figure anywhere, not even in the 48-page booklet released recently with 14 Maya photos.While no BJP leader is willing to comment, the preface of the booklet indirectly puts the previous Rajnath government in the dock. ‘‘When Mayawati assumed command of the state on May 3, 2002, there were a bagful of challenges like a deteriorating law and order situation, non-availability of electricity and emptying state coffers. But the dynamic leadership in the past one year has changed the scenario in the state at the social, administrative, industrial and cultural levels,’’ it reads. ‘‘Changes are beginning which will help establish a society in coming years the dream of which was seen by Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotiba Rao Phule and Sahuji Maharaj,’’ says the last paragraph.Mayawati has sent nearly 53,000 letters to heads of villages, along with these booklets, and sought their support. The principal secretary to the CM, P L Punia, has written letters to departmental heads (nearly 71) asking them to highlight the department’s achievements.Hoardings in the capital are being replaced to carry these messages while advertisements will be released in newspapers published not only from Lucknow but also from Kolkata and Mumbai. Three major national magazines will also be featuring multi-page advertisements on Mayawati in their coming editions.
