"Queen of Dalits" stirs up Indian politics

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An "untouchables" politician has emerged as a leader of India's opposition after the government's confidence vote victory, in a move that may erode support for the two major national parties before 2009 elections.

Mayawati, known as the "Queen of Dalits", said on Wednesday that 10 mainly regional-based opposition parties were uniting a day after the Congress party-led government won a vote that was marred by charges opposition lawmakers were bribed to abstain.

"The government won the vote of confidence but lost the trust of the nation," Mayawati, flanked by party leaders from north and south India as well as influential communists, told reporters.

The confidence vote was triggered by the withdrawal of the government's communist parliamentary allies to protest against a nuclear deal with the United States.

Mayawati emerged as one of the strongest organizers of opposition to the ruling coalition, and Wednesday's meeting was the latest sign of her growing influence.

She rose to prominence after her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won an outright majority in elections last year in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state that is also seen as one of its most lawless and corrupt.

Mayawati's support base in among Dalits, or "untouchables", who account for about 16 percent of India's 1.1 billion people and have traditionally been supporters of the Congress.

"Wherever the Congress has enjoyed the support of Dalits Mayawati will cast a shadow," said A.K. Verma, a leading political commentator from Uttar Pradesh.

But Mayawati is also forging ties with regional, non-Dalit parties keen to hitch onto her bandwagon.

For the Congress, hamstrung by record inflation, and the main Hindu-nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, the growing clout of Mayawati could mean they lose seats to her party.

"Remember, half of India doesn't vote for either Congress or BJP," said political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan. "They vote for regional parties, and what she is doing is forge these parties."

If the results in Uttar Pradesh were replicated in a general election, the BSP could hold the balance of power in the national parliament by next year.

THIRD FRONT

This is not the first time a "Third Front", an alternative to the Congress and BJP, has been talked about.

In the past, such groupings lacked a common platform and were unable to win enough support to form stable governments. They generally hold the balance of power rather than lead the country.

Even now this coalition of opposition parties that Mayawati leads only has around 100 seats. It will still probably be dependent on one of the national parties to be in power.

Mayawati has also been investigated for corruption, with reports of a lavish lifestyle and expensive houses. She has erected statues to herself in Uttar Pradesh.

Her party may have a hard task expanding beyond Uttar Pradesh, which provides the largest bloc of seats in parliament. India politics is regional and her caste alliance might not fit in other states.

But the appeal of Mayawati could be more long lasting.

"It is the Dalit leader who may well become the focal point of the movement to try oust the government," wrote Mayawati's biographer Ajoy Bose in the Mint newspaper.

(Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Alex Richardson)