Mayawati returns with a massive rally: What woke up the slumbering elephant?

Mayawati’s BSP Signals Comeback with Massive Rally in Lucknow

After years of declining electoral fortunes and a period of relative silence, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Mayawati, held a massive show of strength in Lucknow on Thursday. The rally, held to mark the 19th death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram, saw an estimated two lakh party members turn out, effectively painting the city in the party’s signature blue color. With the BSP nearly wiped out in recent national and state elections—hitting rock bottom with a zero-seat performance in 2024—this grand mobilization, held about a year before the crucial 2027 UP Assembly polls, has analysts questioning whether the “elephant” (the party’s symbol) is finally stirring for a major political fight.

Launching an Attack on SP and Congress

In her fiery, hour-long address, Mayawati launched a strong attack on both the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, accusing them of “insulting Dalits” through hypocrisy and caste prejudice. She criticized the SP for only remembering Dalits when seeking power, specifically pointing to the Akhilesh Yadav government’s decision in 2010 to rename a district honoring Kanshi Ram. Turning her attention to the Congress, she dismissed their tributes to the Dalit icon as “blatant deception,” highlighting their failure to declare a day of national mourning following Kanshi Ram’s death in 2006. Mayawati’s goal is to position the BSP as the true, unified voice of the Bahujan community, countering the SP-Congress’s attempt to champion the “PDA” (Pichda-Dalit-Alpasankhyak) narrative.

Soft Approach Towards the BJP Sparks Controversy

A noticeable element of Mayawati’s speech was her selective restraint towards the ruling BJP government. She expressed rare gratitude towards Chief Minister Adityanath’s government for properly maintaining the parks and memorials built during the BSP era, noting that they had not diverted funds, “unlike SP’s double character.” This mild praise quickly drew criticism from the Congress, whose UP chief accused the BSP of “acting on the BJP’s directions” and “betrayal of Kanshi Ram’s legacy” amidst rising atrocities against Dalits. BSP sources, however, clarified that her praise was given where it was due and did not mean she would not criticize the BJP on other issues.

The Party’s Decline and Quiet Revival Work

The massive rally comes at a time when the BSP is at its lowest electoral ebb. Since its high point in 2007, when it won an absolute majority with a 30.46% vote share, the party’s performance has consistently fallen, culminating in a 9.39% vote share and zero seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This decline was worsened by the splitting of the Dalit vote, partly due to the BJP’s welfare schemes and the rise of Dalit challenger Chandrashekhar Azad. However, party sources suggest the rally is not a desperate, sudden attempt at revival, but rather the “culmination of quiet, steady groundwork” that has been in progress for at least six months.

New Strategy: Groundwork, Digital Overhaul, and New Leadership

The BSP’s groundwork includes intensified door-to-door campaigns aimed at reclaiming the loyalty of its core Dalit vote base. The party is also embracing a modern approach; Mayawati has brought her nephew, Akash Anand, back as the national coordinator and tasked him with overseeing a major digital overhaul. The plan is to significantly increase the party’s online presence through targeted social media campaigns, posts, and reels. By reinforcing its internal structure and expanding its outreach beyond its traditional Jatav-Dalit base to include non-Jatav Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the BSP hopes to upend the current political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections. The party’s message is clear: “The elephant has not woken up. It was awake all this while and was walking silently. It is only now that it is finally trumpeting.” Sources