Music, message and poll mission: BSP gears up for Mayawati’s birthday on January 15

While the main function on Mayawati’s birthday will be organised at the party’s state unit office in Lucknow, the party workers will assemble in the district offices to cut the cake and wish her on the birthday, a BSP leader said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will celebrate party chief Mayawati’s 67th birthday on January 15 in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh with songs, one of which hails her as the second Ashoka, videos of the welfare schemes launched when she was in power, her message and cake-cutting in order to energise party workers and supporters for the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

BSP chief Mayawati served as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh four times in 1995, 1997, 2002-03 and 2007-12. (FILE PHOTO)

“After the Covid pandemic, the BSP celebrated her birthday in a simple manner in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the birthday celebrations were curtailed due to enforcement of the model code of conduct for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The party has decided to celebrate her 67th birthday in all the districts to gear up the cadre for the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha election,” a party leader said.

Some of the songs have already been released. They include numbers rendered by Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher and Prince acclaiming her as a fighter for the rights of the “deprived community”. Dalit singers Raviraj Baudh, Preeti Baudh and Trishala Baudh, too, released their songs, urging people of all castes and communities to celebrate the BSP chief’s birthday on Sunday.

The BSP chief’s message to party workers and supporters will be released on social media platforms on Sunday.

“In the BSP government ask for rights, will give rights. Will ask for respect, will give respect,” BSP national coordinator Akash Anand tweeted.

Mayawati served as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh four times in 1995, 1997, 2002-03 and 2007-12.

While the main function on Mayawati’s birthday will be organised at the party’s state unit office in Lucknow, the party workers will assemble in the district offices to cut the cake and wish her on the birthday, a BSP leader said.

The song “Behna ko Mubarakbad” by Sonu Nigam highlights Mayawati’s birth in a humble family, motivation from the ideals of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar and the political guidance by BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

“Devi Lagadi” by Punjabi singer Prince eulogises Mayawati as a goddess born for the emancipation of the weaker sections.

“Deen hai suhana and lakho- lakh badhaiya” by Kailash Kher terms her an iron lady who has been struggling since childhood and never retreated from the mission of uplift of the weaker sections despite adversity.

Having devoted her life to the service of the people, she is a messiah of the weaker sections, protector of the helpless and the tallest leader in the country today, the songs say.

Party leaders and workers have been directed by the leadership to play these songs in the run-up to Mayawati’s birthday at party meetings, villages and localities to gear up the workers for the celebration.

Mayawati is likely to release the 18th edition of her work – “A Travelogue of My Struggle Ridden Life and BSP Movement” as well as the party’s “missionary calendar” on January 15.

The BSP’s Gorakhpur division in-charge Hari Prakash Nishad Nishad said, “The birthday of ‘behenji’ (Mayawati) will be celebrated in a grand manner. The party workers from all the assembly segments have been directed to assemble at the district headquarters to celebrate her birthday.”

After losing power in Uttar Pradesh in the 2012 assembly election, the BSP had been celebrating Mayawati’s birthday as “Jankalyankari Diwas”.

“The party leaders assist the needy, poor and the handicapped (on the occasion of Jan Kalyankari Diwas). They also visit Dalit hamlets and hospitals and distribute fruits and blankets among the poor,” a BSP leader said.