Choosing Parijan Over Bahujan Politics: How Mayawati Kept BSP's Star Lit at Home

Lucknow, Uttar Presh: BSP leer and first female Dalit Chief Minister in India, Mayawati, turned 68 on January 15. Mayawati's rise from humble beginnings has been called a "miracle of democracy" by many political stalwarts including PV Narasimha Rao, former Prime Minister of India. On her 68th birthday, let's deep dive to chart her Dalit outfit's journey from ‘Bahujan’ to 'Parijan' politics. 

Mayawati's announcement that her nephew, Akash Anand, will assume role of her 'political successor,' marks a shift in Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP's) ideological notion towards a familial succession model. This decisive step reflects broer trend of family-centric politics in regional parties aiming to secure ir legacies.

Mayawati naming her nephew as her successor in Bahujan Samaj Party at a crucial party meeting in Lucknow on December 10, 2023, has not surprised many as in June 2019 she me clear indications of future of party's leership by making Anand BSP's national coordinator. 

Kanshi Ram, political mentor of Mayawati, didn't inherit party. Ram included her as a member of his team when he founded Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1984 with an aim to represent Bahujans (community in majority), referring to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Or Backward Classes (OBC), along with religious minorities.

Reflecting vision to reward ordinary BSP workers' hard work and talent, Ram named Mayawati his successor on December 15, 2001 and she rose to ranks of national president of party in September, 2003. With passing time and rising trend of family-centric politics, Mayawati chose an easier way of keeping party's star lit at home. 

After December 10 declaration of her nephew becoming her political successor, Mayawati kept Kanshi Ram's vision of rewarding ordinary talented BSP workers also at home. In midst of sharp switch to ‘Parijan’ politics, BSP saw ‘Sarvajan’ movement. 

In 2007, 'sarvjan (inclusive politics of development for citizens regardless of caste y represent)’ politics helped BSP wrest power in Uttar Presh on its own where it won 206 of 403 assembly seats cornering 30.43 per cent votes. However, rise of Hindutva politics and grassroot connect of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dethroned regional outfits born out of caste engineering.