Lucknow: The birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram on March 15 is set to trigger intense political activity in Uttar Pradesh as major parties attempt to consolidate the Dalit vote ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
Mayawati Gives 'Lucknow Chalo' Call to Mobilise 21% Dalit Electorate
The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has given a “Lucknow Chalo” call to party functionaries, aiming to stage a massive show of strength in the state capital and mobilise Dalit voters, who constitute nearly 21 percent of the electorate in the state.
Party sources said Mayawati is expected to outline the party’s broader political strategy for the 2027 assembly elections during the gathering. A similar programme is also proposed in Noida to extend the campaign’s outreach.
Large Turnout Seen as Litmus Test for BSP's Organisational Health
Political observers say a large turnout at the event would signal that the BSP’s organisational machinery, which has faced erosion in recent years, remains active. Party insiders said the initiative is also aimed at reminding Dalit voters that Kanshi Ram’s political legacy belongs to the party he founded.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has also planned events across the state to mark the occasion. Party sources said the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha has been asked to collaborate with social organisations to highlight Kanshi Ram’s legacy.
One of the key programmes is scheduled in Ghaziabad under the banner of a social organisation named after Ramabai Ambedkar, the wife of Dalit icon B. R. Ambedkar. The BJP has strategically chosen western Uttar Pradesh, a region with a significant population of Jatav voters who traditionally form the core support base of the BSP.
BJP Seeks to Rise Above Party Lines to Honour Dalit Icon
“We seek to rise above party lines to pay tribute to a leader who was a voice of the Dalits,” said Ram Chandra Kannojia, president of the BJP’s SC Morcha in Uttar Pradesh. The event is expected to be attended by several senior leaders, including national SC Morcha president Lal Singh Arya and district-level party leaders from the region.
Political analysts say the move fits into the BJP’s broader strategy of symbolically recognising Dalit icons such as Ambedkar while simultaneously expanding its grassroots networks among non-Jatav Dalits and sections of Jatav voters.
SP Observes 'PDA Diwas'
The Samajwadi Party has also planned programmes to mark the day, observing it as “PDA Diwas”, in line with its campaign focusing on the coalition of Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak communities. Party sources said the SC wing, Babasaheb Ambedkar Vahini, has been tasked with organising the events.
Sources said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has directed party MPs, MLAs and district presidents to participate and mobilise people from the PDA communities.
By involving its SC wing directly in the events, the SP aims to strengthen engagement with Dalit voters instead of relying solely on its traditional OBC-Muslim electoral base.
The renewed push assumes significance as the SP attempts to sharpen its PDA narrative, which the party believes helped it make electoral gains in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by reducing the BJP’s tally in Uttar Pradesh.
The SP’s ally, the Indian National Congress, is also set to mark the occasion as “Samajik Parivartan Diwas”. Political analysts say the move reflects the Congress’s attempt to regain a share of Dalit support that it historically enjoyed before the rise of the BSP in the late 1980s.
