BSP facing challenge from rival parties out to woo Dalits in U.P.

Struggling to recover from the successive electoral debacles and shrinking support base, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is now facing another challenge–rival political parties’ bid to win the support of Dalits in the run-up to the 2027 assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking in the legislative assembly over the state’s annual budget 2025-26, CM Yogi Adityanath made it clear that Dalits and welfare of the weaker sections will be top priority of his government. Invoking Dalit icons, Yogi said projects will be launched to highlight the contribution of Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram, Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabir, Maharshi Valmiki and Maharaja Suheldev.

After the 2024 Lok Sabha election setback in UP, the BJP is working to regain its hold over the Dalit and OBC votes that was breached by the Samajwadi Party. Of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won just 33 seats in the 2024 polls.

The shift of Dalit and OBC voters to the SP-Congress alliance led to the defeat of NDA candidates on majority of the seats in the state. To regain its hold over the Dalit voters, the BJP is organising social justice conferences under the Dalit outreach initiative across the state.

Buoyed by the 2024 LS poll victory in the state, the SP is also working to consolidate its hold over the Dalits and OBC voters. It is working on the tested PDA–Pichada (backwards), Dalits and Alpsahkhyaks (Muslims)–formula to maintain hold over the Dalits and OBC voters. Riding on the PDA, the SP bagged 37 seats in the last general election.

The frontal organisations of the SP are organising a series of workers’ conference in various districts to mobilise the Dalit voters. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that Ambedkar and ‘Save the Constitution’ campaign will be the thrust of his party under the Dalit outreach programme.

Taking a dig at BSP chief Mayawati during his visit to his parliament constituency Rae Bareli on February 20, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made his intentions clear that Dalits will be on the top of the agenda of the grand old party to regain ground in Uttar Pradesh.

To send a message to the Dalit voters, Rahul raised question over Mayawati not joining the opposition in fight against the BJP. Addressing Dalit students, Rahul said, “Why Behenji (Mayawati) is not fighting the elections properly these days?” The Congress has also launched a series of campaigns across the state to mobilise the Dalit community in the run-up to the 2027 election.

To counter the rival parties’ drive to make inroads into the Dalits, Mayawati cautioned her supporters stating that the conduct, character, face of the BJP, SP and the Congress have always been strongly opposed to Dr Ambedkar. “These parties are against reservation etc due to which the country is far behind in achieving the egalitarian and welfare objective of the Constitution,” she said.

BSP state unit president Vishwanath Pal said, “The party is organising cadre camps in all the assembly segments to enlighten the party supporters about the ploy of the BJP, SP and the Congress as well as of the ideals of the BSP.”

“The focus is on the youth who are diverted by the rival parties. Senior party leaders have been directed to attend the camps to make the youth aware of the struggle of party founder Kanshi Ram and party chief Mayawati,” he said.

Along with electoral debacle, the rise of Azad Samaj Party (ASP) chief Chandra Shekhar Azad, his increasing influence over the youth have also emerged as challenge for the BSP.

BSP chief Mayawati is holding regular meetings of her party leaders in Lucknow to review the membership drive and working of the organisation. Along with highlighting the anti- Dalit policies of the BJP, SP and the Congress, Mayawati told her party leaders to highlight the schemes launched under the BSP governments for the welfare of the Dalits.

The BSP support base and vote has been declining in the successive elections. In the 2007 assembly election, the BSP polled 30.43% votes to form government on its own. In the 2012 assembly election, the BSP polled 25.95% votes to bag 80 seats. In 2017 assembly election, the BSP secured 22.23% votes to win 19 seats and in the 2022 assembly election, its vote percentage dipped to 12.88% and the BSP was able to win merely one seat.

In the Lok Sabha election, the story is no different. In 2004 general election, the BSP polled 24.67% votes to bag 19 seats. In the 2009 Lok Sabha election, it polled 27.42% votes to bag 20 seats. In the 2014 LS election, the vote percentage declined to 19.77% and the BSP failed to open its account. In the 2019 LS election, the BSP contested election in alliance with the SP to bag 10 seats with polling 19.42 % votes.

Now, the BSP has no member in the Lok Sabha. It does not also have member in the UP Legislative Council as well while it has just one member each in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Assembly.