Sahpurva:
Thirty kilometers from Lucknow, in the Dalit village of Sahpurva, they don't own a single patch of farmland. All of it belongs to upper-caste neighbours.
In the name of development they only have a ramshackle school.
For houses destroyed by a storm a year ago, they are still waiting for compensation.
For work, they only have NREGA, the UPA's employment scheme for the rural poor.
Yet, every single voter is a proud and ardent supporter of BSP Chief Minister Mayawati.
NDTV: What kind of work does she provide you?
Om Prakash, Resident, Sahpurva: It's not her fault that the government officers stole the compensation money. It's the fault of corrupt MPs and MLAs.
Every year, without fail, they contribute to Behenji's birthday.
"Hundreds of us pack ourselves in tempos and go to Lucknow to celebrate with her," said Mohan, a resident of Sahpurva.
In Lucknow, NDTV met hundreds of Dalit labourers working on Mayawati's dream project - the Ambedkar Smarak.
The monthly wage: 5,000 rupees
And yet, the whopping 6,000 crore budget for the memorial does not rattle them.
"Dalits are being given recognition for the first time. Naturally it's a matter of pride. I feel good about it," said Moolchand, a Dalit labourer.
So the critics may continue to make a noise about the obscene amount of money that Mayawati has spent on her pet memorials. But ask the community, the largest percentage of which has always been poor, the Dalits and they have just one thing to say: After centuries, a leader has been able to give them a sense of equality and the power to dream BIG and no price is too high for that.