Demonetisation effect? No cash garland, no pomp and show on Mayawati's 61st birthday

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's 61st birthday celebrations will be a low-key affair.

According to reports, there will be no pomp and show when the BSP supremo turns 61 year-old on January 15.

BSP's decision to celebrate Mayawati's birthday with simplicity comes at a time when the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is trying to push the country towards cashless economy with its decision to ban the old currency notes of high denomination.

The BSP, on the contrary, is known to celebrate Mayawati’s birthday with much fanfare with cakes weighing as much as her age and cash garlands to welcome her. 

The party has been launching a massive fundraising campaign across the state every year ahead of Mayawati's birthday during which each BSP MP and MLA are given a target to collect a certain amount of cash.

On her birthday, the BSP leaders reportedly hand Mayawati a bag full of cash as a gift – the money so collected is used for the party’s election campaign. 

The celebrations usually come to end after Mayawati's address to BSP leaders and workers.

However, the celebrations will not be the same this year.

“Chances are strong that the Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule of the assembly election by the year end. The model code of conduct will come into force immediately. The party cannot celebrate the birthday of ‘behenji’ with the usual gaiety. We have decided to celebrate her birthday in a simple manner in each district,” BSP state unit president, Ramachal Rajbhar was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

A BSP leader was also quoted as saying, on the condition of anonymity, that Modi government's demonetisation might have played a spoilsport.

On her birthday, the BSP workers may be asked to take a pledge to ensure party's victory in the assembly elections to keep them in an upbeat mood.

Before her 60th birthday this year, Mayawati had urged party workers to keep the event simple and connect with the common people in a meeting with senior party leaders, zonal and divisional coordinators. .

Mayawati’s birthday celebrations in the past have been extravagant and courted controversies over the expenses incurred.

In 2010, when Mayawati was the chief minister, Opposition parties attacked her over the gift of a cash garland worth Rs 25 crore given by party leaders on her birthday.