http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=156804.com
What Mayawati thinks today, Paswan thinks tomorrow Manoj Chaurasia PATNA, May 20: With Miss Mayawati pulling off an image change from a bahujan to sarvjan leader during the recent UP elections it appears Bihar's Union chemical, fertiliser and steel minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, is after a political make-over himself. The shrewd politician, who has built his career on fighting the corner of dalits, now seems keen to be seen as a man of all people. In a change of tack away from dalit-focused policy he has been busily organising free health camps for the rural poor open to any caste. Barely a day after the reins of UP came into the hands of BSP chief Miss Mayawati, Mr Paswan inaugurated a two-day free health camp at Patepur block under his Hajipur LS constituency where around 6,000 people were treated by some of the country's top medical experts. Yesterday a large number of people turned up to another two-day health camp organised at Raghopur, also under Hajipur LS constituency. Sources close to him say he plans to organise several similar free health camps across the state with the help of Steel Authority of India (SAIL) in the future with his eyes on Bihar in particular and national politics in general. It's proving good public relations. One old woman from a poor upper caste family was overcome. "Re baua, tu ta jia del! Ee jindagi se aab ummid chhod deliayo ra, tu ta jiye ke aas jaga gel (My son, you have infused a new life in me. We had no hope left but your efforts have made us hope to live more)", she told the doctors who treated her. Mr Paswan has also announced plans to set up a medicine and a steel plant in Hajipur. Political commentators say the recent political developments in UP left the Lok Janshakti Party chief restless and disturbed. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Miss Mayawati's election approach forged a new "dalit-Brahmins" equation and won her a large majority - the first majority government in the state for 15 years. Mr Paswan's party, by contrast, currently has just four seats in Parliament. With the next general elections only two years away he is said to be determined to increase his party's strength at any cost. In the past Mr Paswan has ruthlessly forged and broken political allegiances for his own gains and his new focus on welfare still looks as though it could be more political wheeling and dealing. It is said he is not amused by the way Mr Lalu Prasad dictated terms to the UPA with his support of 25-odd EJD MPs. Observers believe it was because of his feeble party strength that the key railway ministry job Mr Paswan coveted went to rival Mr Lalu Prasad.
