LUCKNOW: Hitting the political landscape of Lucknow emphatically with a massive rally after a gap of nine years, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati showcased her party’s revival and intensified her political narrative on the death anniversary of BSP founder president and her mentor Kanshi Ram on Thursday.
Addressing a mammoth gathering at the Ramabai Rally Sthal, which witnessed BSP supporters from five states, including Bihar, Punjab, and Haryana, with an estimated strength of 4-5 lakh, Mayawati simultaneously praised the Yogi Adityanath government while fiercely criticizing the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress.
She gave a clarion call to her supporters for a “government of the Bahujan Samaj Party in 2027.”
In a generous gesture towards the current dispensation, Mayawati lauded the Yogi Adityanath government for maintaining the memorials and parks dedicated to Dalit ideologues and icons, which were built during her tenure. “I had written to the Chief Minister urging that ticket proceeds from visitors to these sites be used for their upkeep. The BJP government took a positive approach and bore the maintenance cost. For this, I thank them,” she said.
However, she immediately launched a broadside against the Samajwadi Party and its chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing them of hypocrisy and “double standards.” “When they are in power, they forget Kanshi Ram ji and the PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) agenda. But once out of power, they remember both. Such two-faced people must be kept away,” she warned her supporters.
The BSP supremo continued her tirade against the SP, adding, “If the Samajwadis respected Kanshi Ram ji so much, why did their government change the name of the district we had named after him in the Aligarh division?” She accused the SP of dismantling institutions and welfare schemes created in Kanshi Ram’s name, calling it proof of their “anti-Dalit and casteist mindset.”
Mayawati did not spare the Congress either, branding it a party of “nautanki” (theatrics) that has historically ignored the interests of Dalits. “The Congress never awarded Bharat Ratna to Babasaheb Ambedkar. Even when Kanshi Ram ji passed away, neither the Congress-led Centre nor the SP government in UP declared a day of national mourning. That shows their real mindset,” she asserted, attacking the INDIA alliance partners.
In an apparent balancing act, Mayawati accused both the BJP and Congress of “using Dalits as vote banks,” saying all caste-based parties have conspired to prevent the BSP’s rise. “They knew that if the BSP came to power on its own in the states, it would reach the Centre as well,” she said, raising the issue of alleged EVM manipulation and alliances of convenience.
Referring indirectly to Azam Khan and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, Mayawati sought to quash speculation over possible alliances. “I do not meet anyone secretly. Whenever I meet someone, I do it openly,” she said, dismissing rumors about Azam Khan joining the BSP.
Taking a jibe at Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, she said, “To cut into the BSP’s votes, the opposition has created small organizations by using selfish and saleable people.”
In an open message to contest the 2027 Assembly polls on its own, banking on its traditional Dalit base and hoping to attract backward and minority voters, Mayawati cautioned her supporters, saying: “Party workers must remain cautious of selfish political players who have been using Dalits merely as vote banks and not fall for these traps. Don’t give a single vote to such parties.”
“They tried everything to stop us — CBI, IT raids, false cases, propaganda — but we will rise again. The BSP’s mission is bigger than any one election,” she declared.
Echoing her slogan of “Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay,” the BSP chief reminded her supporters of the party’s 2007 victory. “When we formed the government with a full majority, we gave the state a crime-free and fear-free environment. Even today, people remember that phase,” she asserted.
Expanding her focus beyond state politics, Mayawati criticized the Centre for “hollow Swadeshi slogans,” urging India to “be cautious of the American tariff policies” and to “ensure that the concept of Swadeshi is implemented sincerely, not just in words.”
The BSP chief condemned the Centre over the Phalagam terror attack, blaming it on security lapses.
Earlier, expressing gratitude to the sea of supporters for turning out in huge numbers and breaking all past records, Mayawati, in her inimitable style, claimed that the massive presence of people was a reflection of the deep roots of the BSP. “The party will not let this faith go waste,” she told the cheering crowd. “Power is the master key through which Dalits and the backward classes can achieve upliftment,” said the BSP chief.
The rally began with Mayawati paying floral tributes to the statue of BSP founder Kanshi Ram before taking the stage alongside her nephew Akash Anand, who was formally declared the party’s national vice president.
Akash Anand, addressing the gathering earlier, declared, “The crowd you see here is proof that in 2027, Behenji will become Chief Minister for the fifth time.”
In fact, Mayawati’s rally came as a big boost to BSP supporters, as the party has been struggling to regain lost ground after successive defeats in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Once a force to reckon with, backed by a 30.4 percent vote share in 2007, the BSP’s numbers have been dwindling steadily since 2012, dropping to 12.88 percent in the 2022 Assembly polls, when it managed to win just one seat, and to 9.35 percent in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when it failed to open its account.
