LUCKNOW Facing an existential political crisis and a heavily eroded voter base, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has called for a show of strength in Lucknow on October 9 to mark the death anniversary of party founder Kanshi Ram. The rally comes as the party prepares a do-or-die campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in a bid to regain its lost political footprint.
Party leaders and workers from across the state have been directed to assemble at the Kanshi Ram memorial in Lucknow to pay their obeisance to the Dalit icon.
Six successive electoral debacles (2012, 2017 and 2022 assembly elections and 2014, 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections), desertion of senior leaders and falling vote share from 30.43% in 2007 assembly polls to 9.39% in 2024 Lok Sabha polls has shaken the party’s base. The BSP also has no representation in the UP assembly, Lok Sabha and the term of the sole member in the Rajya Sabha will end in November.
Compounding the crisis is the looming threat of losing its status as a recognized national party. The Election Commission of India (ECI) mandates that a national party must secure at least 6% of valid votes in four or more states alongside four MPs, or win 2% of Lok Sabha seats across three states. Following the 2024 defeat, the BSP falls short of these benchmarks and awaits the ECI’s official review.
Once considered the formidable “third force” in UP politics and a national trendsetter for Dalit empowerment, the BSP is battling internal turmoil and a string of electoral defeats. As a primary damage-control measure, Mayawati reinstated her 31-year-old nephew, Akash Anand, as the party’s national coordinator on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}Once considered the formidable “third force” in UP politics and a national trendsetter for Dalit empowerment, the BSP is battling internal turmoil and a string of electoral defeats. As a primary damage-control measure, Mayawati reinstated her 31-year-old nephew, Akash Anand, as the party’s national coordinator on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}Anand, who had previously been designated her political heir in December 2023, was unceremoniously removed and expelled after Mayawati alleged he was unduly influenced by his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth, whom she had also forced into political retirement.
Upon his reinstatement, Mayawati indicated that Anand will spearhead the party’s youth outreach and state campaigns. However, the BSP chief made it clear she will retain ultimate authority over candidate screening and ticket distribution for all 403 UP assembly seats.
Back in June 1995, Mayawati took oath of office as chief minister of UP. The young leader, just 39 then, was the country’s first Dalit woman CM, emerging from the churn of the Mandal revolution that gave birth to BSP and the coalition of Dalit and backward communities crafted by her mentor, Kanshi Ram.
In 2007, she achieved an even more impressive feat, forging a coalition of extremes between Dalits, Muslims and Brahmins, as she swept to power with the first full majority government in almost a decade. Even when she lost power in 2012, her core constituents stood strongly behind her.
However, 15 years later that reputation is in tatters. The 9.39% vote in the 2024 LS elections indicates that that not only the support has deserted the BSP, but rival parties have also been able to dent into her core support base - the Jatavs, Mayawati’s own community, and the Dalit community. Bereft of a compelling narrative, the once-formidable party now looks listless.
Leaders of the NDA alliance, SP, Congress and smaller parties are on the ground to give momentum to their election campaign with rallies and yatras across the state. But Mayawati is confined within the walls of her bungalow in Mall Avenue, Lucknow.
According to BSP leaders, the party chief holds meetings with party coordinators, collects feedback about organisation works, discusses strategy for assembly polls and screens candidates.
After appointment to the key post, Akash wanted a complete overhaul in the party organisation, presence of the party on all social media platforms, establishment of a social media cell to set the narrative for the election, removal of old party leaders who were not working with missionary zeal and promotion of young workers in the organisation, said a BSP leader.
After the party chief’s displeasure, Akash had to disband the social media cell and shut the social media accounts.
But Mayawati preferred work in the traditional way – holding meetings of senior leaders, sending messages to party workers through press releases and posts on X, addressing a few public meetings before the election and collecting feedback about the working of the organisation from trusted aides.
Prof Vivek Kumar of the School of Social Sciences, JNU, said the BSP is facing a momentous challenge since its formation in 1984.
“There are four forces in UP politics today including BJP, SP-Congress alliance, BSP and another emerging alliance - ASP led by Chandra Shekhar Azad, Apni Janata Party led by Swami Prasad Maurya and AIMIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi. The rainbow coalition of Dalit and OBC alliance built by Kanshi Ram as Bahujan Samaj has been broken with the shift of OBC and various Dalit communities from the BSP,” he said.
“The BJP, SP, Congress and ASP are working to make inroads into the core support base of the BSP - the Jatavs. The 2027 polls may witness the division of Jatav votes among the BSP, SP-Congress alliance and ASP. It will further weaken BSP’s hold in state politics. There is no new narrative from BSP chief Mayawati to attract voters. The emerging political scenario is challenging for the BSP, “ he added.
In 2007 UP assembly elections, BSP polled 30.43% votes and bagged 206 seats to form its only majority government.
In 2012 assembly polls, BSP lost power and polled 25.95% votes, winning 80 seats. In 2017 assembly polls, BSP polled 22.23% votes and won 19 seats. In 2022 assembly elections, its vote share dipped to 12.88% and BSP won only one seat.
The BSP failed to open its account in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as it secured 19.77% of vote share.
In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BSP polled 19.42% votes and won 10 seats when it was in alliance with the SP. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, BSP polled 9.39% votes and drew a blank once again.