At Ambedkar memorial, Dalit voices split between BSP faith and SP hope
While large crowd of BSP leaders reaffirm faith in Mayawati leadership, many pin hope on SP for 2027
Inside the main memorial building, where arrangements were managed mostly by BSP leaders, songs played on music systems called for unity across caste and religion. (Express Photo by Lalmani Verma) On Ambedkar Jayanti on Tuesday, the Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivarthan Sthal witnessed not just tributes, but a visible political undercurrent, as visitors, almost all of them from the Dalit community, were split between their support for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP). Built by the then Mayawati government in 2008 across a 107-acre area in Lucknow, the memorial drew thousands of visitors who came to pay tribute to BR Ambedkar.
While BSP leaders mobilised large crowds from across Uttar Pradesh, many reaffirming their faith in Mayawati’s leadership, others who arrived independently said the Samajwadi Party would be the main challenger to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2027 Assembly elections and should come to power if BJP loses.
Men, women and children wearing blue scarves and caps bought merchandise, including photographs of Ambedkar and copies of the Constitution from temporary stalls outside the memorial. Among photographs of Dalit leaders on sale, a new entrant was Nagina MP and president of the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan.
Inside the main memorial building, where arrangements were managed mostly by BSP leaders, songs played on music systems called for unity across caste and religion. “Aao door karen matbhed, mitayen jaati-dharma ka bhed,” in an apparent bid to bring upper castes and OBCs closer to Dalit voters.
Other songs praised Mayawati’s dedication to the “Bhim mission,” with the lines “hai Bharat ki majboori, PM banegi sherni Behna, sabke liye hai jaruri” projecting her as a future prime minister. Another described Mayawati and BSP founder Kanshi Ram as “two flowers of Bhim’s gulshan” and credited her government with building the memorial.
Meanwhile, voices among the attendees reflected a clear divide.
Bhanu Pratap, a Jatav Dalit from Gosainganj in Ayodhya district, said Dalits were misled by SP’s “PDA” (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) slogan during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“The educated section among Dalits got misled more. The reality is that Dalits faced maximum atrocities during SP governments. Their lands were grabbed by Yadavs. BJP is also not doing enough for Dalits. We are getting benefits under welfare schemes but not getting jobs. Job vacancies are advertised in small numbers so that reservation benefits cannot be provided,” Bhanu said, adding that BSP is the best option but its leaders need to work more on ground.
Young voters, on the other hand, leaned away from the BSP. Kanhaiyya Kumar (20), a first-time voter from Deoria who came in a bus arranged by a BSP leader, was miffed with the BJP over “rising unemployment” and said he is learning AC repair for a living. “The youths are suffering loss under the BJP government due to unemployment,” Kumar said. While he noted Chandrashekhar’s popularity among the Dalit youth, he said the party needs to strengthen its organisation to become an alternative to the BSP.
Among government employees, too, the opinions differed.
Fifty-six-year-old government staffer Shri Ram backed the BSP saying it formed the government four times on Ambedkar’s ideals and accused the BJP and SP of failing the Dalits.
Calling those Dalits who support other political parties as “bhatke hue log”, he said, “SP government made the reservation ineffective in promotions. BJP, too, is not a well-wisher of Dalits. Unemployment among SCs is increasing. SP, BJP and Congress take the name of Ambedkar sahab only for votes.”
Men, women and children wearing blue scarves and caps bought merchandise, including photographs of Ambedkar and copies of the Constitution from temporary stalls outside the memorial. (Express Photo by Lalmani Verma)
However, Nek Ram (38), another government employee from Lucknow, who visited the memorial with his wife and daughter, said SP and BSP were the most “suitable options” for him for the 2027 state polls. “All the major development works in Lucknow have been done either under BSP or SP governments. People from all castes and communities visit this Ambedkar memorial built by Mayawati. A cricket stadium was developed under SP rule. BJP only engages in symbolic actions like cutting ribbons without addressing unemployment,” he said.
On the allegations of harassment of Dalits under SP governments, Nek Ram said, “If we are educated, aware and financially strong, nobody will be able to grab our properties.” However, about BSP, he said that the Mayawati-led party appeared weak because it was not able to connect with new voters.
Meanwhile, Prince Gautam (27), a lab technician in Malihabad town of Lucknow openly pledged his allegiance for the SP saying that he voted for the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2022 Assembly polls. “Local SP MP is more accessible to us than the leaders of BSP and BJP. If BSP will set up a good candidate, I will vote for him. BSP is not doing enough work on the ground. On the other hand, SP leaders are organising village and booth level meetings to fight against BJP.”
About apprehensions among Dalits about Yadav’s dominance in the SP government, Gautam said, “That period is over. Things have improved in SP under Akhilesh Yadav. When SP will come to power, there will be no interference of others like Shivpal Yadav anymore in governance.”
He also said that despite getting the job of lab technician on a contractual basis under the BJP government, he was earning only Rs 20,000 per month while a permanent employee gets Rs 80,000 a month for the same job.
His friend Abhinav Bharti, (28), also a contractual employee, said that BJP has improved law and order but unemployment was creating unrest among the youths.
“Mayawati should join hands with Chandrashekhar. Her long political experience and popularity of Chandrashekhar among youths will unite all Dalits. That will make BSP as an alternative to BJP,” Bharti said.
Bharti and Gautam both purchased a copy of the Constitution from a stall outside the memorial. (Express Photo by Lalmani Verma)
Bharti and Gautam both purchased a copy of the Constitution from a stall outside the memorial. “If we have to stop injustice against us, we must read this book,” Gautam said.
Political outreach on Ambedkar Jayanti
The BJP-led UP government last week launched a new scheme, Rs 403-crore “Dr B R Ambedkar Murti Vikas Yojana” that aims to beautify, develop and maintain statues of Ambedkar in all 403 Assembly constituencies. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that symbolic “protective umbrellas” will be installed over statues of Ambedkar and other social justice icons across the state.
BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary on Monday unveiled a statue of Ambedkar in Rae Bareli and led the lighting of 11,000 earthen lamps at Ambedkar’s statue in Hazratganj crossing in Lucknow.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav and UP Congress chief Ajay Rai separately paid floral tributes to Ambedkar at the same statue in Hazratganj. Both the parties also organised a programme in district headquarters to pay their tributes. Yadav was seen wearing a blue scarf in public programmes since Monday.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also worn a blue T-shirt and a blue scarf while flagging off the “Run for Ambedkar, Run for the Constitution” marathon in New Delhi on Sunday.
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