SP to use Kanshi Ram legacy to woo dalits

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party has decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram across all districts of Uttar Pradesh on March 15 in a bid to reach out to Dalit voters.

The party has decided to observe his birth anniversary across districts and project it as a day dedicated to its PDA plank of Dalits, backward classes and minorities. Senior leaders say the move is aimed at reviving memories of the 1990s social coalition between Kanshi Ram and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, which had altered the political balance in the state. By invoking that phase, the Samajwadi Party hopes to signal to Dalit voters that it remains committed to social justice politics and is ready to rebuild a broader anti BJP social alliance ahead of 2027. SP president Akhilesh Yadav has directed all district and metropolitan office bearers to organise events on Kanshi Ram Jayanti. The move is being seen as part of the party’s strategy to consolidate Dalit support and broaden its social base.

Prof Ravi, a retired teacher from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a keen observer of contemporary politics, said the Mulayam-Kanshi Ram factor once had a significant impact in Uttar Pradesh. He said that in the 1990s, this alliance brought about a major shift in the social and political standing of Dalits and Other Backward Classes.

The Samajwadi Party leadership believes that reviving the Dalit and backward class alliance can strengthen its position in the state. The party is banking on its PDA formula, referring to Dalits, backward classes and minorities, to return to power. As part of this outreach, Kanshi Ram Jayanti will be observed as PDA Diwas.

Through district level events, the party will also remind people that Kanshi Ram had led a nationwide movement in support of the Mandal Commission report and had intensified the Bahujan movement after reaching an understanding with Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1992. Party leaders will also highlight that it was Kanshi Ram’s support that helped Mulayam Singh form the government in December 1993.