The mood outside the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) office appeared downbeat compared to the bustling offices of other political parties in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh (UP) state where polls are taking place to elect a new government.
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BSP chief Mayawati is a four-time chief minister and an icon for Dalits - formerly untouchables who are at the bottom of a discriminatory Hindu caste system and, despite legal protections, continue to face harassment and violence.
Mayawati is the most experienced among the contenders for the top job.
But her campaign has been subdued and analysts are not giving her party even an outside chance to form a government. This has put a question mark on her future and also on her legacy.
Her party members, however, reject such assertions. A BSP worker in Lucknow told me that the media and everybody else was getting it wrong.
The party's strategy this time was to campaign door-to-door and not rely only on mega rallies, he said.
"She is the most recognisable Dalit face in the country. She is a symbol of the hopes and aspirations of our community and also for anybody who believes in good administration. People will not ditch us," he added.
While in power, she was indeed praised for her administrative skills and a tough stance on crime.
But her political fortunes have dwindled steadily after her thumping win in the 2007 assembly elections which came on the back of her famed strategy of "social engineering".
