Mayawati

Under Mayawati's government, several thousand crore rupees were spent on parks and memorials featuring statues of Dalit figures, Mayawati herself and elephants associated with the BSP symbol. In 2012, the Election Commission ordered state-funded statues to be covered during elections to prevent a campaigning advantage.

State of the evidence

expenditure, Election Commission order, Lokayukta investigation and Supreme Court PIL documented

Legal status — source text

Lokayukta gave Mayawati a personal clean chit in 2013 while implicating numerous ministers and officials; Supreme Court ultimately closed a PIL seeking, among other things, repayment in 2025

Attribution

direct political responsibility for the memorials programme; no finding of personal embezzlement

Mayawati initially named her nephew Akash Anand as successor and national coordinator, then removed him from his positions during the 2024 campaign before reinstating him. In March 2025, she removed and expelled him again, before accepting his apology in April while announcing that she would no longer designate a successor.

State of the evidence

appointments, expulsions and reinstatement documented

Legal status — source text

no judicial proceedings

Attribution

personal political responsibility for party governance and succession

In 2016, two BSP legislators claimed that they had been asked to pay Rs 5 crore and Rs 4 crore to retain their candidacies. In 2017, following his expulsion, former close associate Naseemuddin Siddiqui released recordings and claimed that Mayawati had demanded Rs 50 crore from him and accounts of fundraising.

State of the evidence

public allegations by several former elected representatives and unauthenticated audio recordings documented

Legal status — source text

no conviction or judicial finding of selling candidacies identified

Attribution

personal allegations within a party dispute, strongly contested

The Taj Heritage Corridor project, intended to develop the area between the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, was the subject of allegations of irregularities concerning the release of funds and environmental permits. The CBI investigated Mayawati and several officials.

State of the evidence

CBI investigation and litigation over prosecution sanction documented

Legal status — source text

the Uttar Pradesh Governor refused the necessary prosecution sanction in 2007; subsequent attempts to reopen proceedings did not lead to a conviction

Attribution

Mayawati was directly implicated in government decisions concerning the project; guilt not established

The CBI opened a separate investigation into Mayawati's assets based on orders issued in the Taj Corridor case. Mayawati challenged the agency's authority to conduct the investigation.

State of the evidence

FIR and Supreme Court ruling documented

Legal status — source text

Supreme Court quashed the FIR in 2012 because its own orders provided no jurisdictional basis; no conviction

Attribution

Mayawati was directly targeted; favourable procedural outcome without general certification of the origin of all her assets