Kanshi Ram emerges as rallying point of Dalit mobilisation in U.P.

Mobilisation focused on the Scheduled Castes (SC) has gathered momentum on Uttar Pradesh’s political chessboard ahead of the Assembly elections due early next year. The immediate trigger is the March 15 birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram, founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4). With SCs constituting roughly 21% of the State’s electorate, political parties are intensifying efforts to engage the community and position themselves as staunch advocates of the marginalised community.

Also read: Kanshiram’s legacy of Dalit empowerment left adrift

SP pushes for ‘PDA’ unity

The Samajwadi Party (SP), the principal Opposition player in the State, has announced that it will observe March 15 as “PDA Diwas”, symbolically dedicated to the cause of a broader unity of PDA — Pichhda (backward classes), Dalit, Alpasankhyak (minorities). SP president Akhilesh Yadav has described Kanshi Ram as a true icon of the marginalised social groups (the entire PDA community) and vowed to carry forward his mission. Party workers across Uttar Pradesh have been directed to observe the occasion on a larger scale. The SP is pitching that the pain and sufferings of the PDA is same, effectively pushing an OBC-Dalit alliance. 

The SP has consistently sought deeper inroads among Dalit voters since 2020. It believes such outreach could help consolidate the gains it made in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when a significant section of SC voters supported the SP-led INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, helping the SP-Congress combine to win 43 out of the State’s 80 seats.

Political observers note that since 2022, Uttar Pradesh has increasingly witnessed a bipolar contest. For the SP-led alliance to succeed in the upcoming Assembly polls, securing substantial Dalit support is a precondition to defeating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

 Also read: Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram — so alike, yet so different

The SP has also invoked the historic alliance between its founder, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kanshi Ram, which successfully united backward and Dalit communities against the BJP in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition. The slogan “Mile Mulayam-Kanshi Ram, Hawa mein ud gaye Jai Shri Ram” symbolised that coalition, which led to the formation of a government.  

BSP hits back

The SP’s renewed outreach has drawn a sharp response from the BSP and its leader, Mayawati, who is the primary claimant of the SC votes. Ms. Mayawati accused the SP of being “anti-Dalit and anti-BSP”, alleging that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party has historically disrespected and insulted great saints and icons born in the ‘Bahujan Samaj’. She cautioned the community about the “nefarious” design of the SP.

The BSP also recalled that during Mr. Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister, a public holiday on Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary was withdrawn. The party dubbed the SP’s planning to celebrate March 15 as nothing but pure political drama to secure votes.

The BSP alleged that the previous SP government renamed certain districts and institutions named after Dalit icons—actions the party said the community has not forgotten. 

Also read: The arrival of Azad in Kanshi Ram’s land

The electoral permutations and combinations over Dalit votes come amid the BSP’s declining electoral performance. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party secured just 9.39% of the vote share in Uttar Pradesh— its lowest in three decades—signalling a detachment of its core voters, with the SP aiming to capitalise on the downslide. 

BJP expands SC outreach

Other major political parties in the State will also observe Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary, signalling an outreach towards Dalits. The BJP, too, is marking Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary through district-level programmes organised by its SC wing, alongside an official State government function likely to be attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Mr. Adityanath, on multiple occasions, has described the late leader as a popular politician who fought throughout life for the welfare of the neglected, deprived and exploited and accused the SP of neglecting and disrespecting Kanshi Ram’s legacy. It has also positioned the party as pro-Dalit by speaking about steps taken to preserve the legacy and statues of the late BSP leader.

In addition to Kanshi Ram, the BJP plans to commemorate events honouring Dalit and social reform icons such as Savitribai Phule, B. R. Ambedkar, Sant Ravidas and Uda Devi as part of its broader outreach to Scheduled Castes. The BJP is aware that substantial Dalit support is necessary to stay in power in the State. The Congress, which started a 45-day ‘Dalit Gaurav Samvad’ campaign last year from October 9 on the death anniversary of Kanshi Ram, is also expected organise state-wide events on March 15. 

Meanwhile, smaller political players seeking to consolidate Dalit support are also active. Chandra Shekhar Aazad, Lok Sabha member from Nagina and president of Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and former U.P. Minister and founder of Apni Janata Party Swami Prasad Maurya are set to lead programmes around the anniversary.

As Dalit mobilisation takes centre stage, the coming months in Uttar Pradesh will be keenly watched to see how these outreach efforts reshape the State’s electoral trends.

Published – March 01, 2026 05:18 pm IST