Mayawati targets Gandhis, eyes the national stage

New Delhi: The Mayawati vs the Gandhi battle reached the second round on Friday. After taking on Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati has now targetted her son and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Friday allegedly ordered the cancellation of Rahul's scheduled interaction with students at the Chandra Shekhar Azaad University in Kanpur.

The orders were sent as a written directive to the university Vice Chancellor, just hours before Rahul was to arrive at the auditorium.

The interaction was meant to be Rahul's date with Kanpur's youth, instead it turned out to be a brush with Mayawati's ire.

The scion of the Gandhi family had come to meet students at an auditorium at the Chandrashekhar Azad University, but just hours before he reached the gates were locked.

It all happened quickly, ostensibly at the instance of Mayawati, who is now making a habit of being spoil sport for the Gandhis.

Almost a fortnight ago the Mayawati government had cancelled the allotment of land for construction of a rail coach factory in Sonia's constituency in Rae Bareli. And after the incident in Kanpur, the message is clear - life for Gandhi's is going to be difficult on Maya's turf.

However, Rahul was unperturbed.

"The auditorium was locked so I met them outside. Our work was done. I had promised to come and I came. No one can stop this," Rahul said when asked if he was willing to go to jail.

So just why is Mayawati adopting a guerrilla warfare tactic against the Gandhis.

She did give the land back for rail coach factory in Rai Bareli after refusing permission. In Kanpur, too, Rahul managed to have an informal session with the students in the university canteen.

Mayawati seems to have borrowed a leaf from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's book.

In Gujarat's last Assembly elections, Modi fought and won a war against Sonia.

Targetting Sonia gave him a national stage. Mayawati is also looking to create a national impact by taking on Sonia.

"Mayawati's government will fall soon. Let her indulge in all this," Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Steel and Lok Jan Shakti Party chief, said.

As the timing of the next General Elections draws nearer, the battle lines between Mayawati and Gandhis will only get sharper.