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Mayawati targets SP, praises BJP govt for memorial upkeep
At Lucknow rally to mark Kanshi Ram death anniversary, Mayawati projects nephew Akash Anand as heir apparent, seeks to chart party’s revival course, says BSP will go solo in 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati used her party’s show of strength in the run-up to the 2027 assembly election to hit out at the Samajwadi Party, praise the BJP government over the upkeep of the Kanshi Ram Memorial in Lucknow and reiterated her party’s plans to go solo in the next state assembly polls.
The rally was held to mark the 19th death anniversary of party founder Kanshi Ram as the BSP chief aimed to consolidate her hold on her party’s Dalit support base and criticised the PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) formula of the SP.
Mayawati’s anti-SP pitch during the public meeting at the Manyavar Kanshi Ram Smarak Sthal in Lucknow came amid concern over the shift of a section Dalit votes to the INDIA bloc in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The BSP secured a vote share of 9.39% in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the party failed to win any seats.
In 2019, the BSP had a vote share of 19.42% and won 10 seats in the state when it was in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
Seeking to chart a revival course, she assured the party supporters that there will be no laxity on her part to bring BSP to power in 2027 in Uttar Pradesh.
In her attack on the SP, she accused it of trying to misguide the people with the PDA slogan.
“Under the SP government, there was partiality in implementation of the reservation. The SP government promoted goonda, mafia and anarchic elements. There was exploitation of the weaker sections,” she alleged.
“When in power, the SP does not remember PDA nor the Dalit icons. When out of power, it remembers our ‘gurus’ and ‘mahapurush’. You all should be cautious of such two-faced people,” she said.
Reacting to the SP holding a seminar to mark Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary, the BSP chief said, “I want to ask SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, if he has so much respect for Kanshi Ram, then why he rechristened the district that was named after the Dalit icon. When the BSP government was in power, it carved out a new district with the headquarters in Kasganj in Aligarh division. The district was named Manyavar Kanshi Ram Nagar. When the SP came to power, it changed the name of the district to Kasganj. Various educational institutions and welfare schemes were named after Kanshi Ram, but the SP government dropped the names. It shows the double standards of the SP.”
“Grateful to present state govt’
On the other hand, she expressed gratitude towards the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh for maintaining Kanshi Ram Memorial with funds collected from the sale of tickets.
“Earlier due to the lack of maintenance of the memorial, the party supporters could not pay tribute to Kanshi Ram. The maintenance work has been completed. We are grateful to the present state government, unlike the previous Samajwadi Party government it has used the funds collected through the sale of the tickets for the maintenance of the memorial. After a request by the BSP, the BJP government has spent the fund on the renovation of the memorial,” she said.
“The SP government did not use a single penny from the fund collected through the sale of the tickets on the renovation of the memorial. The condition of the memorial deteriorated,” she said.
Mayawati said she sent a letter to the UP chief minister to use funds collected through the sale of tickets on maintenance of memorials. The BJP government assured that the fund will not be used on any other projects, but on maintenance of the memorials, she said.
“We are grateful to the BJP government but on the other hand the SP attitude was that of neglect,” she said.
‘Alliances have not benefited us’
She reiterated that her party will go solo in the 2027 state assembly elections.
“Past experience makes it clear that when the BSP contested elections in alliance, it has not benefited us. Our vote is transferred to the alliance partner but their vote, especially the upper caste vote, is not transferred to the BSP,” Mayawati said.
“The vote share of the party shrinks and seats decline. The alliance government falls before completing its tenure. In 1993, when the BSP contested the assembly election in alliance with SP, it bagged 67 seats, in 1996 when it contested in alliance with the Congress, it bagged 67 seats again. In 2002, the BSP won 100 seats when it went solo. The three alliance governments failed to complete their tenure. In 2007, the BSP went solo again and it bagged over 200 seats to form a majority government.”
“Alliance governments could not ensure the welfare of sarva samaj. The BSP has decided to go solo in the assembly elections. The large turnout of people has made it clear that BSP will return to power in 2027,” she said.
‘People should support Akash
just as they stood by me’
Introducing her nephew and party national convenor Akash Anand to the party cadre, she made it clear that he is her heir apparent.
Addressing the meeting, she said the party supporters had stood by her from the days of Kanshi Ram and even after his death.
“National convenor Akash Anand is closely associated with the BSP movement. It’s a good sign for the party. He is working under my direction to strengthen the party and organisation. The people are associated with him with new energy. The people should support Akash Anand as they have stood by me,” she said.
“Akash’s father Anand Kumar has been supporting me. He is working under my supervision and he is the national vice-president,” she said.
“BSP national general secretary SC Mishra has been tasked with associating the Brahmin community with the party. His son Kapil Mishra is also working for the party by organising a medical camp for workers during the rally. Uma Shankar Singh is also working to associate his community with the party. BSP state unit president Pal is also working across the state to mobilize the backward community. Media adviser Jamil Akhtar and other party leaders are also working hard to bring BSP to power in 2027,” she said.
If the BSP comes to power in 2027, Mayawati announced that her government will review the law and rules framed under the SP and the BJP governments.
The rules that run counter to the ‘sarvajan hitay sarvajan sukhay’ policy will be removed, she said, asserting that policies launched by the earlier BSP government will be implemented.
“The decisions of the SP and BJP government that are against the state and its people will also be under scanner. Efforts will be made to improve law and order as well as welfare and employment of the people. The BSP government will check migration by providing employment opportunities. The interests of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, the minorities and the poor will be protected,” she said.
Mayawati called upon party supporters to work to strengthen the BSP and bring it to power in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
“Earlier, four BSP governments protected the interests of Dalits and gave them the reservation benefits. The BSP government checked crime and established the rule of law. We worked with the ‘Sarvajan Hitay and Sarvajan Sukhay’ (welfare of all) formula,” she said.
The BSP chief also said the Congress governments in the past worked with casteist, capitalist and parochial attitudes.
“In 1975, the Congress imposed the Emergency to make the Constitution ineffective. Now, the leaders of Congress indulge in various types of drama carrying the Constitution in their hand. The Congress used all the tricks to ensure that Ambedkar was not elected to Parliament. Its government deprived Ambedkar of the Bharat Ratna and did not announce mourning after the death of Kanshi Ram. The Mandal commission report was not implemented (initially) but after the BSP effort’s, the VP Singh government implemented the report and gave the Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar (posthumously),” she said.
“Under the BJP government, the exploitation of weaker sections continued. Several announcements and foundation-laying ceremonies are being done under the BJP government but the common people remain deprived. The life and property of the Muslim community is not safe under the present government. The Sachar Committee report has been dumped. The poor among the upper castes remain neglected. The work of the central and state governments is limited to the files. Law and order is not good in UP,” she added.
“Like the Congress, the SP and BJP governments neglected Dalits and backward communities. Poverty and unemployment have increased. The atrocities on the weaker sections have increased. The women and girls are not safe. They are not getting the benefits of reservation. The casteist governments had not made a proper representation in court for the implementation of the reservation. The BSP move for the reservation in promotion was not passed due to opposition by the Congress, SP and the BJP,” she said.
Mayawati cautioned the BJP government over any move to amend the Constitution.
“The government wants to amend the Constitution to implement a casteist system. Sadhus and seers are making announcements in support of the amendment. The BSP will not allow amendments in the Constitution. We will fight for the rights of the weaker sections and they should unite under the BSP,” she said.
Mayawati said in 2007, she worked to form the majority government in UP by uniting the deprived community and upper castes.
“Earlier, BSP had formed alliance governments thrice. The casteist parties, including BJP, Congress and the SP , disliked it. The BJP government lodged false cases against me and my family by misusing agencies like the income tax department and CBI. The government tried to tarnish my image. Instead of ensuring justice, the Congress government too got me tangled in the case. I moved court to get justice. In this difficult situation, we ensured the formation of the BSP government in 2007. We worked to fulfill the dreams of Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram,” she said
