I am a master in India

Chapter 388 Stepping Down
Ron ignored Mayawati, suspecting she was high on drugs.

She is the chief minister, that's true, but that doesn't mean she has the authority to order Ron around.

The extravagant wedding that shocked all of India last month speaks volumes.

Mayawati went too; she should have known better.

Didn't you notice Satya and Singh's attitudes? One touched the feet in a gesture of respect, while the other was enthusiastic yet ingratiating.

What right does a Dalit have, just because of the chair she sits on, to be the Chief Minister?

Yes, Mayawati definitely got high.

She was in her office, smoking a cigarette, when she heard her subordinates report that Satya and Singh had both gone to see Mr. Sue.

Mayawati was furious; she knew perfectly well what these people were up to.

When blood rushes to the head, accompanied by a surge of energy, it's no wonder that one might do something irrational.

Ron had originally thought that if Mayawati contacted him, he would just give her a perfunctory reply.

Now it's all good, there's no need for even a perfunctory excuse.

He said that she was able to become the chief minister only because he didn't object.

Now he has changed his mind.

“Ron, look, now we’re in charge in the Northern State.” Uncle Adiya danced with joy.

"It was just a coincidence; the BJP needed our help."

"Hmm? Isn't it because we control the Progressive Party, which is the second largest political party in the North?"

"That's one of the reasons, but Singh offered these generous terms so readily because he was in a hurry."

"Why?" Second Uncle Adiya hadn't figured it out yet.

"You forgot, there's an election next year."

"Oh~" he suddenly realized.

Uttar Pradesh is poor, that's true. But its importance in the national election far surpasses that of other states.

This is a very large state with a population of nearly 200 million, the largest in India. Its land area is 240,000 square kilometers, the fourth largest in India, and even larger than the United Kingdom.

If Uttar Pradesh were to secede, it would be the fifth most populous country in the world. However, Uttar Pradesh is important because it is also politically "huge".

The Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) of India has a total of 543 seats, and the country is divided into 543 constituencies, with one member of parliament elected from each constituency.

Electoral districts were drawn based on population size, and after being frozen in the 70s, they have not been redrawn.

Therefore, Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, also has the most parliamentary seats, with over 1.5 million voters and 80 of the 543 seats.

The current cabinet formed by the United Front has 14 ministerial members from Uttar Pradesh, more than any other state.

Therefore, in Indian politics, Uttar Pradesh is also known as the "Kingmaker," meaning whoever controls Uttar Pradesh controls the world.

Losing Uttar Pradesh, like the Congress Party, would inevitably lead to its decline.

With the rise of the BJP, they have also realized the importance of Uttar Pradesh.

98 was a general election year, and the BJP was gearing up to form its first cabinet.

To secure a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, Uttar Pradesh has become of paramount importance.

The reason Singh is in such a hurry to become Chief Minister is that he is preparing for next year's general election.

Once the BJP comes to power, it will be able to mobilize more resources to build momentum for itself in Uttar Pradesh.

This is extremely important; it concerns who will inherit power in this country.

So, just a week after Ron returned, in late June, the BJP suddenly launched an attack, breaking its alliance with the Socialist Party.

The Progressive Party and the Socialist Party tacitly chose the BJP, and the coalition government, which lasted less than a year and a half, collapsed.

Mayawati was ousted from Lucknow’s office on the same day Singh was sworn in as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Yes, the coup happened that quickly. There wasn't even a single day left in the power vacuum.

After taking office, Singh fulfilled his promise: Ron’s second uncle became Minister of Commerce, and Muna became Minister of Industry.

The vacant position of Minister of Public Works was still held by the Sur family, who wielded even more power.

Satya also became the Minister of Energy, which is not a core position, but it is much better than the previous situation where he was the only one in power.

Along with this, some of the Socialist Party's subordinates also picked up a few minor ministerial positions.

Two days before Mayawati was ousted, Ron called him.

Satya made her choice without much hesitation.

There was no other way; the space he had to operate was simply too narrow.

The Socialist Party and the BJP have never been on good terms; the crux of the conflict lies with the pastoralists.

The Socialist Party's policies of forming alliances with pastoralists played a crucial role in its two successive administrations of Uttar Pradesh.

Unfortunately, the BJP and the herders are sworn enemies, and the two sides have engaged in countless full-blown brawls.

If it weren't for Ron's mediation, the Socialist Party and the BJP would never have come together.

As the saying goes, it's always good to be prepared. Political matters are always unpredictable and volatile.

After orchestrating a low-key coup, Ron did not make a high-profile appearance at the press conference.

He went to the power plant on the outskirts of Lucknow, accompanied by Satya.

As the Minister of Energy, it's understandable that he would follow along so closely.

The power plant is located near a railway line, and coal from Sumbadra can be unloaded directly into the plant area.

Although it is close to Lucknow, it has not been fully urbanized and still retains traces of ancient villages.

From the outside, it looked more like a slum. Water buffalo rolled around on the rough dirt roads, old people sat around smoking hookahs, and women walked with their faces covered—a scene straight out of a traditional Indian village. Their off-road vehicle drove through the village and stopped in front of the power plant's spacious construction site.

Several huge conical chimneys soar into the clouds. From a distance, they don't seem like much, but you can only feel their awe when you stand at their feet.

Ron thought to himself that it might take several minutes to make a single loop in the SUV.

The power plant is not yet operational; according to the plan, it will be fully completed next year.

"This power plant represents a huge investment, and once it is operational, it will solve all of Lucknow's electricity problems."

“Yes, we have arranged for the police to patrol here,” Satya replied respectfully.

"I'm not worried about it now, but after the electricity is generated, some villagers might steal it."

“Mr. Suer, the grid connection lines near the power plant are very high and difficult to access. The voltage is also not grid voltage, so the villagers here don’t need to worry. Once it reaches the city, the power bureau will take over, and any losses will have nothing to do with the power plant.”

“You know a lot.” Ron nodded in satisfaction.

"This is a good thing that benefits the country and its people, and the government should bear appropriate losses."

“Good. Later, you can do a survey report to see which other cities are experiencing power shortages, and I will have someone follow up.”

“Yes, and only you, Mr. Sur, care about the development of Uttar Pradesh.” Satya subtly flattered him.

Ron smiled and remained silent. Since they were venturing into the power industry, there was no reason for them to build only one power plant.

The industrial cities in Uttar Pradesh will be the targets of the investigation. The government will foot the bill, so what's there to be afraid of?

Once development reaches a certain level and the power grid in Uttar Pradesh is completed, then a steady stream of wealth will flow into our pockets.

Ron is now focusing on developing basic industries, with the Uttar Pradesh as his base of operations.

As mentioned earlier, if these industries are done well, they can serve as a family business that can be passed down for decades.

Yes, his own family.

Kavia and Isa are both pregnant, and two babies will be born soon.

As for the other women in Mumbai, Ron certainly wouldn't discriminate against any of them.

He roughly calculated that he might have more than a dozen children in the future.

With so many offspring, we can't just give birth and then abandon them; we have to find them something to do.

Of course, that's a story for later. Ron's current goal is to expand the business as much as possible.

Power, cement, mining, real estate, infrastructure projects... If things go well in the future, any one of these sectors could be assembled into a large conglomerate.

Uttar Pradesh is the cradle of these industries, so Ron certainly has to take it seriously.

In one or two years at most, all the businesses that are currently being built will enter the profit-generating period.

If things go well, he will accelerate his pace of external expansion.

In fact, he had already made arrangements in Bihar and Gujarat, but he had not yet gone all out.

Next year, we may be able to make adjustments and prepare for a full-scale entry into the secondary industry.

The main building of the power plant has been completed, and equipment is now being moved in and tested one after another.

This was also a long and time-consuming project. After inspecting the site and encouraging the workers, he prepared to leave.

The large estate under construction in Lucknow is located in the western part of the city, and Ron thought he'd take a look while he was there.

The car bumped along the muddy dirt road for twenty minutes before finally leaving the old village and heading towards the city.

As a result, the road was blocked shortly after entering the city.

Ron rolled down the window and peered out; it seemed to be a group of farmers marching and demonstrating.

"What's going on?" he asked.

“Master, I’ll go and inquire about it.” Anil got out of the car.

“They are the farmers who grow red sorghum,” Satya said from the side.

“You know them?” Ron turned his head.

“This has been going on for a long time, and it was Mayawati who orchestrated it; she bears the main responsibility.”

Just as Ron was about to ask something, Anil arrived with a leader.

The man wore thick glasses, had a messy beard, and was sweating profusely.

He was short in stature, but had an imposing presence, and didn't look like a farmer at all.

He was initially reluctant to be called over by Anil, but he was immediately horrified when he saw Ron in the car window.

He hurriedly bent down and touched the ground, which was considered a gesture of respect.

“Mr. Sue!” He clasped his hands together cautiously, as if in prayer.

"Don't be nervous, what's your name?" Ron reassured him softly.

“Yes, sir, my name is Dwaram.” He did relax a bit.

“What’s going on over there?” Ron pointed out the window.

“They are desperate, sir, and have no choice but to come here to beg the government to intervene.”

"What?" Ron asked, puzzled.

Dwaram began to tell the story of red sorghum, as well as his own story.

These two are essentially one, both concerning the life history of Indian farmers.

When you see him, you feel very uncomfortable, thinking he is barbaric and rude, which is repulsive.

However, after listening to his explanation, you will find that everything makes sense.

(End of this chapter)