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'Dalit queen' Mayawati statues covered up ahead of elections
Statues of Mayawati, the so-called 'Dalit queen', have been wrapped up in cloth after election officials ordered their covering ahead of state polls.
Mayawati, who comes from an "untouchable" or Dalit community at the bottom of India's caste system, has erected many large stone statues of herself across Uttar Pradesh state, which she rules over as chief minister.
The election commission believes the statues could be unfair election publicity during polls which begin on February 8 in the northern state of 200 million people.
Mayawati, who only uses one name, has built up a reputation as a populist leader who taps into massive support among low-caste Indians who are often marginalised.
She often attacks national politicians for ignoring the poor, but she is also criticised for her own extravagances such as building parks full of statues of herself and other low-caste leaders.
Chief election commissioner S.Y. Qureshi said the statues must be wrapped up by Wednesday in line with the Indian election code.
"We have done this to ensure a level-playing field for all political parties and to see that the ruling party does not derive any undue political mileage," he told reporters.
Statues of elephants, the symbol of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, were included in the order after rival parties complained about "free publicity", though it was unclear if all elephant statues would be affected.
Mayawati, who has been Uttar Pradesh chief minister since 2007 after three previous short spells in office, has built vast statue parks in the state capital Lucknow and in Noida, a booming satellite city outside New Delhi.
In September she denied accusations in leaked US cables that she sent her private jet to Mumbai to pick up a pair of sandals, while she has also been greeted at rallies with garlands made out of 1,000-rupee ($20) bank notes.
The Congress party, which leads the national ruling coalition, has been campaigning hard in Uttar Pradesh, India's largest and most politically important state, but many experts predict Mayawati will retain power.
An easy win for Mayawati could make her an influential player in 2014 general elections.