Mobilization targeting the Scheduled Castes (SCs) has gained traction on the political board in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Assembly elections due early next year. The immediate trigger is the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram, the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4) on March 15. With SCs constituting roughly 21% of the electorate in the state, political parties are stepping up their efforts to engage the community and position themselves as staunch advocates for the marginalized community.
Also Read: Kanshiram’s legacy of Dalit empowerment remains bowed
The SP promotes the unity of the “PDA”.
The Samajwadi Party (SP), the main opposition player in the state, has announced that it will observe March 15 as ‘PDA Diwas’, symbolically dedicated to the cause of wider PDA unity – Pichhda (backward classes), Dalit, Alpasankhyak (minorities). SP President Akhilesh Yadav described Kanshi Ram as a true icon of marginalized social groups (the entire PDA community) and promised to continue his mission. Party workers in Uttar Pradesh have been directed to monitor the incident on a larger scale. The SP claims that the pain and suffering of PDA is the same, effectively pushing the OBC-Dalit alliance.
Since 2020, the SP has been consistently trying to make deeper inroads among Dalit voters. It believes such outreach could help consolidate the gains it made in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when a significant portion of SC voters supported the SP-led INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, helping the SP Congress win 43 seats from the state.
Political observers note that from 2022, Uttar Pradesh is increasingly witnessing a bipolar contest. For the SP-led alliance to succeed in the upcoming parliamentary polls, securing substantial Dalit support is a prerequisite for defeating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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The SP also invoked the historic alliance between its founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kanshi Ram, which successfully united the backward and Dalit communities against the BJP in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition. The slogan “Mile Mulayam-Kanshi Ram, Hawa mein ud gaye Jai Shri Ram” symbolized the coalition that led to the formation of the government.
BSP strikes back
The SP’s renewed reach has drawn a sharp response from the BSP and its leader Mayawati, who is the main contender for SC votes. Ms Mayawati has accused the SP of being “anti-Dalit and anti-BSP”, alleging that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party has historically disrespected and insulted the great saints and icons born in the “Bahujan Samaj”. She warned the community about SP’s “foul” design.
The BSP also recalled that during Mr. Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister, a public holiday on Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary was cancelled. The party termed SP’s plan to celebrate March 15 as nothing but pure political drama to secure votes.
The BSP alleged that the previous SP government had renamed certain neighborhoods and institutions after Dalit icons — actions the party said the community had not forgotten.
Also Read: Arrival of Azad in Kanshi Ram Land
The electoral permutation and combination of Dalit votes comes amid the declining electoral performance of the BSP. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party won just 9.39% of the vote in Uttar Pradesh – the lowest in three decades – signaling a breakaway of its core voters, with the SP looking to capitalize on the decline.
BJP expands SC reach
Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary will also be celebrated by other major political parties in the state, signaling an outreach to Dalits. The BJP is also celebrating Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary through district-level programs organized by its SC wing, along with an official state government function likely to be attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Describing the late leader as a popular politician who spent his entire life fighting for the welfare of the neglected, deprived and exploited, Mr Adityanath accused the SP of neglecting and disregarding Kanshi Ram’s legacy on many occasions. She also positioned the party as pro-Dalit by talking about the steps taken to preserve the legacy and statues of the late BSP leader.
Apart from Kanshi Ram, the BJP plans to commemorate events to honor Dalit and social reform icons such as Savitribai Phule, BR Ambedkar, Sant Ravidas and Uda Devi as part of its wider outreach to the Scheduled Castes. The BJP is aware that substantial Dalit support is essential to retain power in the state. The Congress, which launched a 45-day ‘Dalit Gaurav Samvad’ campaign from October 9 last year on Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary, is also expected to hold statewide events on March 15.
Meanwhile, smaller political players are also active, trying to consolidate Dalit support. Chandra Shekhar Aazad, Lok Sabha Member from Nagina and President of Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and former UP Minister and founder of Apni Janata Party Swami Prasad Maurya are going to conduct programs around this anniversary.
With Dalit mobilization taking center stage, the coming months in Uttar Pradesh will be closely watched to see how these relief efforts reshape electoral trends in the state.
Published – 01 March 2026 17:18 IST
