Mayawati gears up for mega rally after 9 years. Is a comeback plan in the offing?

Is the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has been on the margins of Uttar Pradesh politics, gearing up for a ‘comeback plan’? Is the show of strength planned on October 9 in Lucknow, on the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram, part of that strategy?

Nearly a decade later, BSP supremo Mayawati has not only announced a major event in Lucknow but has also assigned responsibilities to party leaders at every level. The importance of this event can be gauged from the fact that in the party meeting, it was made clear that until October 9, leaders and workers must focus only on this programme and make it historic.

Mega rally after 9-yr hiatus

On the death anniversary of Kanshi Ram, the BSP is set to take out a massive rally in Lucknow to challenge its political opponents. The occasion is special because it will see Mayawati address such a large public gathering after almost nine years. Since 2014, BSP has steadily lost ground in politics. Even so, since 2016, Mayawati has not organised such a big event in Lucknow. That is why all eyes are on this rally.

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The party has in the past observed Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary, but these events were generally confined to district-level programmes. This time, however, a grand event is being organised in Lucknow. It is being seen as Mayawati’s show of strength.

Party workers and leaders from across the state have been called for the October 9 rally. While clear instructions have been given to leaders and coordinators to make the programme historic, Mayawati has also asked that no other campaign or activity be scheduled until 9 so that full attention can be given to the rally.

Why Behenji's speech is crucial

On that day, she herself will address workers, supporters, and her voters from the stage. Leaders and coordinators have been tasked with ensuring attendance from their respective districts, and the slogan ‘Chalo Lucknow’ has already been raised. It is expected that Mayawati will use this platform to outline the party’s future direction and goals.

Another factor that makes this event significant is the Kanshi Ram Memorial, which Mayawati had built after BSP came to power in 2007. She has often invoked the memorial to link Dalit consciousness with BSP’s mission and political vision. What message she gives to her core voters this time will be crucial for the party’s future course.

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“Supporters and workers have always trusted Behenji’s political instincts. That’s why what she says on this stage will be very important. Clearly, this programme on Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary will be no less than a political rally, and the message will be on similar lines,” a party leader told The Federal Desh.

Plans for Bihar, UP local polls

The party, of late, has been making visible efforts to stage a revival. It has started reorganising itself to strengthen its base at all levels. Mayawati has also announced that the BSP will contest the upcoming panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh as well as the Bihar Assembly elections. This has raised hopes among party workers that she has drawn up a comeback plan for Uttar Pradesh politics. The Lucknow rally is also being seen as a precursor to BSP’s preparation for the next Assembly elections in the state.

Akash Anand factor

Meanwhile, Mayawati has entrusted her nephew Akash Anand with a bigger role — not only giving him responsibility for the Bihar elections, but also elevating him as the party’s national coordinator, effectively making him the second-most important leader in BSP. Speculation is rife over whether Mayawati will send out any specific message regarding Akash from the stage.

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Akash, who was expelled from the party in March, was reinstated in May and given the national coordinator role.

Senior journalist Pradeep Kapoor sees this as BSP’s “revival plan.”

“In today’s politics, BSP needs to justify its relevance. For years, Mayawati has largely been seen only advising the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state. This is why she has often been labelled the BJP’s ‘B team’. Meanwhile, Ambedkar, the Constitution and Dalit issues have been consistently taken up by Rahul Gandhi, while Akhilesh Yadav has organised events on Dalit leaders’ birth and death anniversaries and included them in PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak). In such a scenario, it has become crucial for Mayawati to send out a strong message to her voters as well as her rivals,” he said.

For both the BSP and Mayawati herself, this rally is critical because the party has been steadily weakening over the past decade.

BSP’s steady decline

For both the BSP and Mayawati herself, this rally is critical because the party has been steadily weakening over the past decade. After enjoying a full majority government from 2007 to 2012, BSP faced a severe setback in the next elections and was reduced to just 80 seats. Since then, the party’s graph has kept falling. In 2017, it managed to win only 19 seats, and in 2022, just one MLA was elected. The party’s vote share has also nosedived — from 30 per cent in 2007 to only 12 per cent in 2022.

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Adding to the challenges is the shortage of second-line leadership. Several senior leaders have left the party one by one. This makes the task of reorganising and preparing for a comeback even tougher. However, through this rally, Mayawati may look to leverage the crowd strength and renewed support to enhance her political bargaining power for the future.

(The story was originally published in The Federal Desh)