4 min readLucknowMar 15, 2026 02:04 PM IST
First published on: Mar 15, 2026 at 02:04 PM IST
Targeting rival political parties for invoking the legacy of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram, party chief Mayawati Sunday alleged that the Samajwadi Party (SP), Congress and BJP remember Dalits, backward classes and minorities only during elections while doing little for their empowerment.
On the occasion of Kanshi Ram’s 92nd birth anniversary, Mayawati in a statement said these parties have historically used the names of Bahujan icons for political mileage but failed to work sincerely for the welfare of marginalised communities.
She said the claims of such parties about working for Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and minorities were largely symbolic. “The SP, Congress and BJP… have done little work and more politics in the name of the Bahujan community. This is not merely an allegation but part of their political history,” she said.
Mayawati also called the SP’s PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) pitch a “deception”, alleging that such political outreach often surfaces only during election periods. According to her, once in power, these parties continue to ignore and sideline Dalits, backward classes and minorities, similar to the conduct of other rival parties.
The BSP chief also said attempts by various parties to weaken the Bahujan movement through political inducements such as parliamentary and assembly positions had harmed the movement started by Kanshi Ram and Dr B.R. Ambedkar. “People who left the movement for personal interests and political gains have weakened the struggle for self-respect initiated by Babasaheb Ambedkar,” she said in her statement, adding that Bahujan voters should remain cautious of such efforts.
Mayawati also renewed her demand that the Centre confer the Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram, saying his contribution to building a movement for social equality and empowerment in line with the Constitution was historic. Pointing to the long delay in conferring the Bharat Ratna on Ambedkar, she said the Union government should not delay honouring Kanshi Ram.
“Kanshi Ram played a historic role in mobilising the Bahujan community and working towards the creation of an egalitarian society as envisioned in the Constitution. Because of this contribution, he continues to live in the hearts of millions,” she said.
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During a Congress event in Lucknow to remember Kanshi Ram earlier this week, a resolution was passed in the presence of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi seeking “Barat Ratna” for the Bahujan icon.
Earlier in the day, Mayawati paid floral tributes to the founder at the BSP state headquarters in Lucknow, where party leaders and workers had gathered to mark the occasion.
Describing Kanshi Ram as a symbol of self-respect and dignity for the Bahujan community, she said he devoted his life to carrying forward the ideology of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and building a nation-wide movement for the political empowerment of marginalised sections.
She said he worked with determination to unite the Bahujan community under the BSP banner, transforming it into a political force that eventually formed governments in Uttar Pradesh. “Kanshi Ram not only built a powerful movement but also demonstrated that the Bahujan community could achieve political power through democratic means,” she said.
Call for Bahujan unity
Mayawati urged members of the Bahujan community to remain united and strengthen the BSP, saying political power was essential to ensure that constitutional rights and welfare measures reached marginalised groups.
She called on supporters to become “missionary Ambedkarites” and work to strengthen the party’s “social transformation and economic emancipation movement”.
“The Bahujan community must unite and use the strength of its vote to obtain the ‘master key of power’, so that the rights and welfare guaranteed by the Constitution can be implemented on the ground and people can live with dignity,” she said.
The occasion of Kanshi Ram’s 92nd birth anniversary. (Source: X/@mayawati) 
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