Amid declining political influence, Mayawati re-elected as BSP president

In a significant development, Mayawati, the protege of BSP founder Kanshi Ram and four-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has been re-elected as the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) yet again.

The decision was formalised during a special meeting of the BSP Central Executive Committee (CEC), which included senior national-level office bearers and representatives from state party units across the country.

At 68, Mayawati’s re-election marks yet another chapter in her long political career, one that has seen both remarkable successes and recent challenges. She thanked BSP activists and supporter for her reelection.

Kanshi Ram, who founded the BSP with the aim of empowering Dalits and marginalised communities, declared Mayawati as his political successor over two decades ago, a mantle she has carried with mixed results. She took over as the chief of the party for the first time on 18 September 2003. Since then she has been the president of the party.

Despite having tractions among Dalits, Mayawati’s influence has waned in recent years. In 2024 general elections Mayawati failed to win a single seat. The defeat, according to UP watcher, underscores the decline in BSP’s support, even among its core Jatav base. Jatav votes shifted towards INDIA alliance in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, poll data revealed.

The party's performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections also mirrored this downward trend. Out of 403 assembly seats, the BSP managed to win only one in 2022 assembly polls.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP, in alliance with the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav, managed to secure 10 seats. The 2014 polls were even more dismal, with the party failing to win a single seat.

On the eve of her re-election as BSP president, Mayawati took to social media to vehemently deny rumors of her retirement from active politics. Describing the speculations as “false rumors” spread by “casteist media,” Mayawati reaffirmed her commitment to the Ambedkarite movement.

“To thwart the opponents' conspiracies aimed at weakening the Ambedkarite movement championed by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and the revered Kanshi Ram Ji, I remain resolutely committed to the BSP's mission for the dignity and self-respect of Bahujans until my last breath," she posted on X.

Mayawati's political journey began under the mentorship of Kanshi Ram, who convinced her to enter politics. Her first major electoral success came in 1989 when she was elected as a Member of Parliament from Bijnor. Her rise was meteoric, and in 1995, she became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time, with the support of the BJP. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the creation of Ambedkar Nagar and Udham Singh Nagar districts.

Her subsequent terms as chief minister, in 1997 and 2002, further cemented her position as a key player in UP politics.

However, it was the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections that marked her most significant victory, as the BSP won a majority largely due to a strategic outreach to the Brahmin community. The party’s campaign slogan, "Haathi nahin, Ganesh hain, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh hain" (The elephant, BSP's symbol, represents Lord Ganesha, embodying the trinity of gods), symbolised this broader appeal.

Mayawati's re-election as BSP president comes at a critical time for the party, which is grappling with declining influence and electoral setbacks. As she takes the helm once again, her ability to revitalise the BSP and regain the trust of her core voter base will be crucial for the party’s future trajectory.