Bahujan Samaj Party

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is an Indian political party established to represent Bahujans, a term that encompasses Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and religious minorities. Founded by Kanshi Ram in 1984, the BSP was created to unite the Bahujans, who make up about 85% of India’s population but were previously fragmented into around 6,000 castes. The party draws inspiration from the philosophies of B. R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Narayana Guru, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, and Gautama Buddha.

In 2001, Kanshi Ram appointed his Mayawati, as his successor. The BSP’s stronghold is in Uttar Pradesh, where it was the second-largest party in the 2019 Indian general election with 19.3% of the vote and the fourth-largest in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election with 12.88% of the vote. The party’s symbol is an elephant, which was also used by Dr. Ambedkar’s Scheduled Castes Federation.

History:

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was founded by Kanshi Ram on 14 April 1984, the birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar. Kanshi Ram named Mayawati, a former school teacher, as his successor in 2001. The party quickly gained political influence, securing seats in both the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh and the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.

In 1993, after the assembly elections, Mayawati formed a coalition government with Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, becoming Chief Minister. However, on 2 June 1995, she withdrew support from Yadav’s government, leading to a significant incident in which Yadav’s supporters allegedly detained BSP legislators and hurled casteist abuse at Mayawati in a Lucknow guest house. This incident marked the beginning of a longstanding rivalry between Mayawati and Yadav.

Following this, Mayawati secured support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and became Chief Minister again on 3 June 1995. However, in October 1995, the BJP withdrew their support, leading to new elections after a period of President’s Rule. In 2003, Mayawati resigned from her government to demonstrate that she was not “hungry for power” and called on the BJP-run Government of India to remove Union Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan.

In 2007, Mayawati led the BSP to a decisive victory, securing an absolute majority in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly for a full five-year term.

On 10 December 2023, Mayawati announced her nephew, Akash Anand, as the party’s successor. However, he was dismissed shortly after making controversial comments about the ruling BJP.

On 14 April 2009, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) celebrated its silver jubilee. The occasion was marked by the launch of the Manywar Shri Kanshi Ramji Shahri Garib Awas Yojna housing scheme for the poor, initiated by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA). The role of Mayawati in the party’s achievements was highlighted during the celebrations. A major rally was held in Lucknow, with 10,000 police personnel ensuring security. This event was the 305th and largest rally held by the BSP since its founding in 1984. According to the Observer Research Foundation, within just 25 years, the BSP had risen to become the third-largest political party in India.

Elections:

Success in 2007:

In the May 2007 Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) achieved a historic victory as the sole majority party, a first since 1991. Mayawati began her fourth term as Chief Minister on 13 May 2007, taking the oath of office alongside 50 cabinet and state ministers at Rajbhawan in Lucknow. This significant majority was largely attributed to the BSP’s success in attracting a substantial portion of upper-caste votes away from their traditional party, the BJP.

However, the BSP’s dominance waned in the 2012 elections, where it won only 80 seats compared to 206 in 2007. Despite this, the BSP government made history as the first in Uttar Pradesh to complete a full five-year term. On 26 May 2018, R. S. Kushwaha succeeded Ram Achal Rajbhar as the president of the BSP’s Uttar Pradesh unit.

2014 Lok Sabha Elections:

In the 2014 national Lok Sabha elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged as the third-largest party in India based on vote percentage, securing 4.2% of the national vote. However, despite this significant share of the vote, the BSP did not win any seats in the Lok Sabha.

2019 Lok Sabha Elections: Mahagathbandhan:

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) forged an alliance known as the Mahagathbandhan (or Grand Alliance). This coalition, also referred to as the Gathbandhan (Alliance), was an anti-Congress and anti-BJP political alliance led by Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party, along with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal and several other regional parties. The alliance aimed to contest the elections in various states across India.

In Uttar Pradesh, the alliance’s seat-sharing arrangement allocated 38 seats to the BSP, 37 to the Samajwadi Party (SP), and 3 to the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), with the remaining two seats being supported for Congress. This agreement led to a slight decrease in BSP’s national and state-level vote share, but the party managed to secure 10 seats, a notable improvement from their performance in 2014. The Samajwadi Party won 5 seats, contributing to a total of 15 seats out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh for the alliance.

2024 Lok Sabha Elections: Historic Setback:

On July 19, 2023, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) announced its decision to contest the 2024 Indian General Election independently, choosing not to align with either the INDIA bloc or the NDA coalition. This decision led to the party’s worst electoral performance to date. The BSP lost all ten seats it had secured in Uttar Pradesh during the previous election and failed to gain any new seats elsewhere. Consequently, its national vote share plummeted to 2.07%, which is less than half of its 2014 vote share, when the party also won no seats.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is committed to the “Social Transformation and Economic Emancipation” of the Bahujan Samaj, which includes Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Castes (OBC). Inspired by B. R. Ambedkar, a key advocate for Bahujan rights, the BSP’s ideology focuses on uplifting these marginalized communities. The party also supports religious minorities and maintains that it does not harbor prejudice against upper-caste Hindus. In 2008, Mayawati addressed this aspect, stating: “Our policies and ideology are not against any particular caste or religion. If we were anti-upper caste, we would not have given tickets to candidates from upper castes to contest elections.”

Lok Sabha:

Legislative Assembly Elections:

Bihar Legislative Assembly:

In the 1990 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 164 seats but did not win any of the 324 seats available. In 1995, the party contested 161 seats and won 2 out of 324. By the year 2000, the BSP had contested 249 seats and secured 5 out of 324. During the February 2005 elections, the party contested 238 seats but won only 2 of the 243 total seats. Later in October 2005, BSP contested 212 seats and won 4 out of 243 seats. The 2010 elections saw the BSP contesting 243 seats without winning any, and a similar outcome occurred in 2015, where the party contested 228 seats and won none of the 243 seats. In the 2020 elections, the BSP contested 80 seats and won 1 out of 243.

Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly:

In the 2003 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 54 seats and won 2 out of 90 total seats. In 2008, the party contested 90 seats but again won only 2 out of 90. The 2013 elections saw the BSP contesting all 90 seats but securing just 1 seat. In the 2018 elections, the BSP contested 33 seats and won 2 out of 90. However, in the 2023 elections, the party contested 58 seats but did not win any of the 90 available seats.

Delhi Legislative Assembly:

In the 1993 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 55 seats and won 1 out of 70 available seats. In 1998, the party contested 58 seats but did not win any of the 70 total seats. The 2003 elections saw the BSP contesting 40 seats and winning none out of 70. In 2008, the party contested all 70 seats and won 2. However, in the following elections, the BSP did not secure any seats: in 2013 with 69 contested seats, in 2015 with all 70 seats, and in 2020 with 68 seats contested.

Haryana Legislative Assembly:

In the 2000 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 83 seats and won 1 out of 90 total seats. In 2005, the party contested 84 seats and won 1 out of 90 seats. The 2009 elections saw BSP contest 86 seats, again winning just 1 out of 90 seats. In 2014, the party contested 87 seats and secured 1 out of 90 seats. However, in the 2019 elections, BSP contested all 87 seats but did not win any of the 90 available seats.

Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly:

In the 1990 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 35 seats but did not win any of the 68 available seats. The party had a similar outcome in 1993, where it contested 49 seats and failed to secure any of the 68 seats. In 1998, BSP contested 28 seats, again winning none out of 68. The 2003 elections saw the party contest 23 seats, with no victories in the 68-seat assembly. In 2007, BSP contested 67 seats and won 1 out of 68 seats. The party’s performance in 2012 was disappointing as well, with 67 seats contested and no wins. The 2017 and 2022 elections also resulted in no victories for BSP, with the party contesting 42 and 53 seats respectively, in an assembly of 68 seats.

Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly:

In the 1996 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 29 seats and won 4 out of 87 available seats. In 2002, the party contested 33 seats and secured 1 out of 87 seats. The 2008 elections saw BSP contest 83 seats but win none of the 87 seats. In the 2014 elections, the party contested 50 seats and again did not win any of the 87 available seats.

Jharkhand Legislative Assembly:

In the 2009 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 78 seats but did not win any of the 81 available seats. In 2014, the party contested 61 seats and won 1 out of 81 seats. The 2019 elections saw BSP contest 67 seats, with no victories in the 81-seat assembly.

Karnataka Legislative Assembly:

In the 2018 state assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested 18 seats and won 1 out of 234 available seats. In the 2023 elections, the party contested 133 seats but did not win any of the 234 seats.

Kerala Legislative Assembly:

In the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) faced challenges in securing seats. In the 2011 elections, the party contested 122 seats but did not win any of the 140 available seats. The 2016 elections saw the BSP contest 74 seats, again failing to secure any of the 140 seats. Similarly, in the 2021 elections, the party contested 72 seats and did not win any of the 140 available seats.

Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly:

In the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has had varying levels of success over the years. In 1990, the BSP contested 183 seats and won 2 out of 320 available seats. The party made notable gains in 1993, contesting 286 seats and securing 11 out of 320 seats. The 1998 elections saw a similar outcome, with the BSP contesting 170 seats and winning 11 out of 320 seats.

In the 2003 elections, the BSP contested 157 seats and won 2 out of 230 seats. The party’s performance improved slightly in 2008, contesting 228 seats and winning 7 out of 230 seats. In 2013, the BSP contested 227 seats and won 4 out of 230 seats. The 2018 elections were less favorable, with the BSP contesting 227 seats but winning only 2 out of 230 seats. In the 2023 elections, the party contested 181 seats but did not win any of the 230 available seats.

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly:

In the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has struggled to secure seats. In 1990, the BSP contested 122 seats but won none. The party’s performance remained unchanged in the subsequent elections, with 145 seats contested in 1995, 83 in 1999, and 272 in 2004, all resulting in no victories. The trend continued in 2009, 2014, and 2019, where the BSP contested 287, 280, and 262 seats respectively, but did not win any of the available seats in these elections.

Punjab Legislative Assembly:

In the Punjab Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has seen varying success. In 1992, the BSP contested 105 seats and won 9 out of 117 seats. The party’s performance declined in 1997, where it contested 67 seats and won just 1 out of 117 seats. In the subsequent elections, BSP struggled to make an impact: in 2002, the party contested 100 seats without securing any of the 117 available seats. The 2007, 2012, and 2017 elections saw similar results, with the BSP contesting 115, 117, and 111 seats respectively but winning none of the 117 seats. In the 2022 elections, the BSP contested 20 seats and won 1 out of 117 seats.

Rajasthan Legislative Assembly:

In the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has had mixed results. In 1990, the BSP contested 57 seats but did not win any of the 200 available seats. The party’s performance remained unchanged in 1993, with 50 seats contested and no wins.

In 1998, the BSP contested 108 seats and won 2 out of 200 seats. The 2003 elections saw a slight improvement, with the party contesting 124 seats and securing 2 out of 200 seats. In 2008, the BSP contested 199 seats and won 6 out of 200 seats. The party’s performance in 2013 was less favorable, with 199 seats contested and 3 out of 200 seats won. The 2018 elections saw the BSP contesting 199 seats again, with 6 out of 200 seats won. In the 2023 elections, the BSP contested all 199 seats but won only 2 out of 200 seats.

Telangana Legislative Assembly:

In the Telangana Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has faced challenges in securing seats. In the 2018 elections, the BSP contested 106 seats but did not win any of the 117 available seats. The party experienced a similar outcome in the 2023 elections, where it again contested 106 seats but failed to win any of the 117 seats.

Uttarakand Legislative Assembly:

In the Uttarakand Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has seen fluctuating results. In 2002, the party contested 68 seats and won 7 out of 70 available seats. The BSP improved its performance in 2007, contesting all 70 seats and securing 8 out of 70. However, in the 2012 elections, the BSP contested 70 seats but won only 3 out of 70 seats. The 2017 elections were less successful for the party, as it did not win any of the 70 available seats. In the 2022 elections, the BSP contested 54 seats and won 2 out of 70 seats.

Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly:

In the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has experienced significant changes in its electoral performance over the years. In 1989, the BSP contested 372 seats and won 13 out of 425 available seats. The party continued to perform relatively well in 1991, contesting 386 seats and securing 12 out of 425 seats.

The BSP made substantial gains in 1993, contesting 164 seats and winning 67 out of 425 seats, a result that was mirrored in the 1996 elections with 299 seats contested and 67 wins. The party’s performance peaked in 2002, when it contested 401 seats and won 98 out of 403 seats.

The 2007 elections marked a high point, with the BSP contesting all 403 seats and achieving a significant victory by winning 206 of them. However, in 2012, the party contested 403 seats but won only 80. The 2017 elections saw a notable decline, with the BSP contesting 403 seats and winning just 19. The party’s performance further diminished in 2022, where it contested all 403 seats but won only 1 out of 403 seats.