The apprehension was proved right. In just 10 months, at least 467 IAS officers were transferred, some of them five times in just three months. The joke making the rounds of the UP State Secretariat is that the officials pay money to get a `good' posting, but they are kicked out if some other official bids more for the said post, and this merry-go-round is still going on.

Though a joke, the fact remained a discreet secret as to how much money actually had changed hands during transfer of officials. No official has ever dared to speak out. "The collection of money may be in crores ... no one is sure about the exact amount because a person who had paid money for a plum posting keeps the amount a closely guarded secret," said a senior IAS officer, who is also the office-bearer of the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association.

But the discovery of a video cassette showing Mayawati asking her party MLAs and MPs to contribute from their "earning/commission" from their respective Area Development Fund to the party kitty has opened a pandora's box. The Action Group, a self-righteous organisation of IAS officers from the state, has also asked its cadre to come out clean and "bare their hearts" as to how much money they had actually paid either to Mayawati or to her cronies to get a plum posting.

"If bureaucrats can have courage and disclose as how much money they had paid for their postings then it could be another Watergate scandal," said former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh. He disclosed that officials had told him in private that Mayawati had asked anything between 2 lakh and 15 lakh for a posting. According to Kalyan Singh’s information, for any posting in Noida or Ghaziabad, or for being posted in plum departments like excise, urban development or revenue, the officials have paid Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. The rates for Agriculture Production Commissioner and Industrial Development Commissioner postings were much more, said a highly placed source.

The question often asked is if Mayawati is earning so much of money where has she stashed it? She has, so far, not invested in real estate, neither does she own a bungalow or a farm house nor has she shown any flashy liking for cars. People close to Mayawati said that she had "fallen in love" with diamonds, a fact she displayed on her birthday celebrations. Others say that Mayawati never keeps money in a bank. She prefers to keep the cash stacked in boxes. An indication to this fact was that in October last, when Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) had started a drive disconnecting the power supply of those people whose power dues were over Rs 25,000, newspapers ran a story claiming that Mayawati's 13, Mall Avenue residence (not official Chief Minister residence) has a power arrears of Rs 1.86 lakh.

Mayawati cleared the dues at one go and paid the whole amount in cash turning many a head in the UPPCL.

Raj Bahadur, a founder-member of the BSP, who later was elevated to the post of state president of the party, and was thrown out of the party, said BSP is no longer a party it used to be.

"I remember in the 1991 assembly elections when I was state president we did not have money to contest election. We used to call ourselves as 'Garibon ki party' and used to move around on bicycles asking for votes," said Raj Bahadur.

"The character of the party has changed. No longer is the BSP garib now. Almost every senior leader, party MLA or MP has the latest model of Bolero, Marshals or Sumos. They brandish latest mobile phones and have people to carry their bags", he said, adding that the BSP leader is no longer different from that of the BJP or the SP.

Another former BSP leader, R. K. Chaudhry, who was at one time a close lieutenant of Mayawati, said that earlier only dalits used to be members of this party. Now, anyone who has money can walk into the party and even get a party ticket for either the assembly or Parliament, depending upon his contribution towards the party kitty.

During last elections there were rumours that BSP assembly tickets were available at a premium. Though Mayawati denied these allegations, many industrialists (who had never dabbled in politics) won in the last assembly elections on the BSP tickets, thereby giving credence to the allegation.

Mayawati's first splurge with government money started when she became Chief Minister for the first time in 1994. In her six-month rule, she planned the construction of Ambedkar Park in Gomti Nagar and Parivartan Chowk at the heart of the city near K.D. Singh Babu stadium. Defying all the objections raised by officials, she asked them to arrange for the money and even directed them to divert the same from the contingency fund

In her second innings as Chief Minister in 1997, she gave a final shape to the Ambedkar Park project. Initially, the project was to cost Rs 40 crore. As there was no budgetary allocation, she diverted Rs 25 crore from the contingency fund inviting criticism from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

When the BJP came to power, the then chief minister Kalyan Singh ordered an enquiry into the "misuse of government money" and appointed senior IAS officer George Joseph as an enquiry officer. The report found Mayawati guilty of misappropriation of government money and even an accusing finger was pointed towards Mayawati's rakhi brother Lalji Tandon—a senior BJP leader and Urban Development Minister in the present government.

Then came the float pump controversy in which Mayawati was charged with accepting a commission in the purchase of float pumps from a Chennai-based company. The pumps were for Uttar Pradesh Fire Brigade. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Opposition trained its guns at her, demanding her immediate arrest.

Riding roughshod, when Mayawati returned to power, she got the Ambedkar Park project completed as the project cost increased from Rs 40 crore to Rs 100 crore. And the float pump case was conveniently pushed to the lumber room. The cat was out when Mayawati decided to celebrate her 47th birthday on January 15 this year as a grand function. SP national president said that crores of rupees from government exchequer were spent to celebrate the birthday of a dalit ki beti.

"I am ready to give a proof to CBI that Mayawati had spent crores of rupees ... I have got proof... the Central Government should order an enquiry into the whole affair," said Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP leader's allegation were dittoed by the CAG which claimed that Rs 1.14 crore was taken away from the contingency fund to celebrate Mayawati's birthday. "The Chief Minister has looted public money", said leader of opposition Mohd. Azam Khan, adding "Mayawati is treating UP treasury as her personal bank account from where she has withdrawn money at her own whim and fancy". The barbs of allegation are sharp, but the proof of corruption is not substantial. Rakesh Pandey, a senior journalist, said that "Corruption in UP has become a synonym of staying in power." Taking a cue from the old adage `Make hay while the sun shines,' the politicians in UP loot government money as long as they are in power. This is the `mantra' of modern-day politic and everyone is adhering to it. he added.