Bahujan Samaj Party

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Template:Infobox Indian Political Party

The Bahujan Samaj Party (Template:Small BSP) is a progressive political party in India that was formed to represent Bahujans (literally means "community in majority"), referring to the country's Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBC), along with minorities.[1] According to Kanshi Ram, when he founded the party in 1984, the Bahujans comprised 85 percent of India's population, but were divided into 6,000 different castes.[2] The party claims to be inspired by the philosophy of B. R. Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule, Narayana Guru, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, and Gautama Buddha.

Kanshi Ram named his protégée, Mayawati, as his successor in 2001. The BSP has its main base in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where it was the second-largest party in the 2019 Indian general election with 19.3% of votes[3] and fourth largest in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election with 12.88% of votes.[4] Its election symbol is an elephant which is also the symbol historically used by Dr. Ambedkar's Scheduled Castes Federation.[5]

Template:Anchor Etymology

File:Flags of "Bahujan Samaj Party" at Shivaji Park.png
BSP rally in Mumbai

"Bahujan" is a Sanskritic term found in Hindu and Buddhist texts, and literally refers to "many people", or "the majority". It connotes the combined population of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Muslims, and minorities who together constitute the demographic majority of India.[6][7] The word "Bahujan" appears in the dictum "Bahujana Hitaya Bahujana Sukhaya", or "The benefit and prosperity of the many", articulated by Gautama Buddha.[8][9][10]

In his writing, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar used the term to refer to the majority of people in society that experienced discrimination and oppression on the basis of caste. Jyotirao Phule used the term in a similar context, and compared the Bahujans of India to Slavery in the United States. Schedule Caste and Bahujan writers have suggested this proportion was 70 percent of the population.[10][11]

History

File:In bahujansamaj1.png
Bahujan Samaj Party flag used in public

Bahujan Samaj Party was founded on the birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar (14 April 1984) by Kanshi Ram,[12] who named former school teacher, Mayawati, as his successor of BSP in 2001.[13] The party's power grew quickly with seats in the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh and the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. In 1993, following the assembly elections, Mayawati formed a coalition with Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav as Chief Minister. On 2 June 1995, she withdrew support from his government, which led to a major incident where Mulayam Singh Yadav was accused of sending his zealots to keep her party legislators hostage at a Lucknow guest house and shout casteist abuses at her.[14] Since this incident, they have regarded each other publicly as chief rivals.[15] Mayawati then obtained support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to become Chief Minister on 3 June 1995. In October 1995, the BJP withdrew their support and fresh elections were called after a period of President's Rule. In 2003, Mayawati resigned from her own government to prove that she was not "hungry for power"[16] and asked the BJP-run Government of India to remove Union Tourism and Culture Minister, Jagmohan.[17] In 2007, she began leading a BSP-formed government with an absolute majority for a full five-year term.[18]

On 10 December 2023, Mayawati declared her nephew Akash Anand as the party's successor.[19][20][21] However, he was sacked immediately after his comments on the ruling BJP Party.[22]

Silver jubilee

On 14 April 2009, the Bahujan Samaj Party celebrated its silver jubilee.[23] The Manywar Shri Kanshi Ramji Shahri Garib Awas Yojna housing scheme for poor was launched by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).[24] The role of Mayawati was discussed in BSP's success.[25] A mass rally was organised in Lucknow with 10000 police personnel on duty.[26] It was the 305th and largest rally of BSP since 1984.[27] As per Observer Research Foundation, within 25 years BSP became the third largest political party of India.[28]

Views

BSP believes in "Social Transformation and Economic Emancipation" of the "Bahujan Samaj". The Bahujan Samaj signifies the Bahujans as the Scheduled Castes (SC), the Scheduled Tribes (ST), and the Other Backward Castes (OBC). B. R. Ambedkar, a proponent of Bahujan rights, is their important ideological inspiration. The BSP also speaks in favor of religious minorities. The party claims not to be prejudiced against upper-caste Hindus. In 2008, while addressing the audience, Mayawati said: "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".[29]

List of chief ministers

Chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh

No Image Name Constituency Term of office Tenure length Assembly
1 File:Mayawati.jpg Mayawati None 3 June 1995 18 October 1995 Template:Age in years and days 12th Assembly
Template:Small
Harora 21 March 1997 21 September 1997 Template:Age in years and days 13th Assembly
Template:Small
3 May 2002 29 August 2003 Template:Age in years and days 14th Assembly
Template:Small
MLC 13 May 2007 15 March 2012 Template:Age in years and days 15th Assembly
Template:Small

Electoral performances

Previous general elections (1989, 1991, 1996, 1998,1999, 2004)

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Success in 2007

The results of the May 2007 Uttar Pradesh state assembly election saw the BSP emerge as a sole majority party, the first to do so since 1991. Mayawati began her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and took her oath of office along with 50 ministers of cabinet and state rank on 13 May 2007, at Rajbhawan in the state capital of Lucknow.[30] Most importantly, the majority achieved in large part was due to the party's ability to take away majority of upper castes votes from their traditional party, the BJP.[31]

File:Flags of "Bahujan Samaj Party" at Shivaji Park.png
Flags of Bahujan Samaj Party at Shivaji Park, Mumbai

The party could manage only 80 seats in 2012, as opposed to 206 in 2007 assembly elections. BSP government was the first in the history of Uttar Pradesh to complete its full five-year term.[32] On 26 May 2018, Ram Achal Rajbhar was replaced by R S Kushwaha as the president of UP unit.[33]

2014 Lok Sabha elections

The 2014 national Lok Sabha elections saw the BSP become the third-largest national party of India in terms of vote percentage, having 4.2% of the vote across the country but gaining no seats.[34]

2019 Lok Sabha elections: Mahagathbandhan

Prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BSP formed an alliance. The Mahagathbandhan (or Grand Alliance), or simply the Gathbandhan (Alliance),[35][36] is an anti-Congress,[37] anti-BJP[38] Indian political alliance formed in the run-up to the 2019 general election under the leadership of two former Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party, along with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal and several other political parties, contesting in different states of India.[39][40][41][42][43][44]

In Uttar Pradesh, BSP contested 38 seats, SP 37, and RLD 3, and the alliance supported Congress in the final two. Due to this seat sharing agreement, BSP's vote share fell slightly nationally and in the state, but they won 10 seats, up from 0 in 2014. The Samajwadi Party won 5 seats, giving the alliance a total of 15 seats out of 80 in the state.[45]

2024 Lok Sabha elections: Historic setback

On 19 July 2023, the BSP had announced that it would neither side with the INDIA nor the NDA and would go alone in the 2024 Indian General Election.[46] However, it had its worst performance in a Lok Sabha election. It lost all ten of its seats in Uttar Pradesh that it had gained in the previous election and didn't gain any seats elsewhere. Its national vote share fell to 2.07%, less than half of what it was in 2014 when it also won 0 seats.[47]

Election results

Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha term Year Seats
contested 		Seats won ± Seats vote % ± vote % State (seats)
9th 1989 245 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 4 2.07% - Punjab (1)
UP (3)
10th 1991 231 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 1.61% Template:Decrease 0.46% MP (1)
Punjab (1)
UP (1)
11th 1996 210 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 8 4.02% Template:Increase 2.41% MP (2)
Punjab (3)
UP (6)
12th 1998 251 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 6 4.67% Template:Increase 0.65% Haryana (1)
UP (4)
13th 1999 225 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 9 4.16% Template:Decrease 0.49% UP (14)
14th 2004 435 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 5 5.33% Template:Increase 1.17% UP (19)
15th 2009 500 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 2 6.17% Template:Increase 0.84% MP (1)
UP (20)
16th 2014 503 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 21 4.19% Template:Decrease 1.98% Template:N/a
17th 2019 383 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 10 3.67% Template:Decrease 0.52% UP (10)
18th 2024 488 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 10 2.07% Template:Decrease 1.6% Template:N/a

Template:Vertical bar chart

Legislative Assembly elections

Year Seats contested Seats won ± Voteshare (%) ± (%)
Bihar Legislative Assembly
1990 164 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.73%
1995 161 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase2 1.34%
2000 249 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase3 1.89%
Feb 2005 238 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease3 4.41%
Oct 2005 212 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase2 4.17%
2010 243 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease4 3.21%
2015 228 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 2.1%
2020 80 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 1.5%
2025 130 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.62%
Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly
2003 54 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase2 4.45%
2008 90 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 6.11%
2013 90 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 4.27%
2018 33 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 3.9%
2023 58 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 2 2.05%
Delhi Legislative Assembly
1993 55 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 3.90%
1998 58 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 3.15%
2003 40 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 5.76%
2008 70 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase2 14.05%
2013 69 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease2 5.33%
2015 70 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.31%
2020 68 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.71%
2025 70 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.58%
Haryana Legislative Assembly
2000 83 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 5.74%
2005 84 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 3.22%
2009 86 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 6.73%
2014 87 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 4.4%
2019 87 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 4.21%
2024 35 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.81%
Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly
1990 35 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.94%
1993 49 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 2.25%
1998 28 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.41%
2003 23 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.7%
2007 67 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 7.40%
2012 67 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 1.7%
2017 42 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.49%
2022 53 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.35%
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
1996 29 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase4 6.43%
2002 33 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease3 4.50%
2008 83 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 3.73%
2014 50 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.41%
2024 27 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.96%
Jharkhand Legislative Assembly
2009 78 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 2.44%
2014 61 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.8%
2019 67 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 2.5%
2024 55 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.78%
Karnataka Legislative Assembly
2018 18 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 0.30%
2023 133 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 0.31%
Kerala Legislative Assembly
2011 122 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.60%
2016 74 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.24%
2021 72 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.23%
Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly
1990 183 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase2 3.54% -
1993 286 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase9 7.05% Template:Increase3.51%
1998 170 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 6.15% Template:Decrease0.9%
2003 157 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease9 7.26% Template:Decrease1.11%
2008 228 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase5 8.97% Template:Increase1.71%
2013 227 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease3 6.29% Template:Decrease2.68%
2018 227 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease2 5.01% Template:Decrease1.28%
2023 181 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease2 3.40% Template:Decrease1.61%
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
1990 122 0 Template:Steady 0.42%
1995 145 0 Template:Steady 1.49%
1999 83 0 Template:Steady 0.39%
2004 272 0 Template:Steady 4.0%
2009 287 0 Template:Steady 2.35%
2014 280 0 Template:Steady 2.33%
2019 262 0 Template:Steady 0.92%
2024 262 0 Template:Steady 0.48%
Punjab Legislative Assembly
1992 105 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase9 16.32%
1997 67 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease8 7.48%
2002 100 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 5.69%
2007 115 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 4.13%
2012 117 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 4.29%
2017 111 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.52%
2022 20 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 1.77%
Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
1990 57 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.79%
1993 50 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0.56%
1998 108 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase2 2.17%
2003 124 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 3.97%
2008 199 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase4 7.60%
2013 199 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease3 3.37%
2018 199 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase3 4.03%
2023[48] 199 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease4 1.82%
Telangana Legislative Assembly
2018 106 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease2 2.10%
2023 106 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 1.37%
Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly
2002 68 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase7 10.93% -
2007 70 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase1 11.76% Template:Increase 0.83%
2012 70 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease5 12.19% Template:Increase 0.43%
2017 69 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease3 6.98% Template:Decrease 5.21%
2022 54 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase2 4.82% Template:Decrease 1.16%
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
1989 372 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase13 9.41% -
1991 386 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease1 9.44% Template:Increase0.03%
1993 164 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase55 11.12% Template:Increase1.68%
1996 299 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 19.64% Template:Increase8.52%
2002 401 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase31 23.06% Template:Increase3.42%
2007 403 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase108 30.43% Template:Increase7.37%
2012 403 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease126 25.91% Template:Decrease4.48%
2017 403 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease61 22.23% Template:Decrease3.71%
2022 403 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease18 12.88% Template:Decrease9.43%

Notes

  1. ↑ Bahujan Samaj Party. The Times of India. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  2. ↑ India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India{{#if:Jaffrelot|, Jaffrelot}. Hurst(2003). ISBN 9781850653981
  3. ↑ Indian politics has undergone a tremendous change. Uttar Pradesh results the proof. The Economic Times(2019-05-26). Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  4. ↑ UP Election Results: Landslide victory for BJP, SP distant 2nd; Congress, BSP decimated. Zee News(2022-03-10). Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  5. ↑ A tale of election symbols, Mishra, Anant Shekhar. The Times of India(2014-04-20). Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  6. ↑ What is Bahujan, Mandal, and Kamandal Politics in India?. The Justice Mirror(2022-01-22). Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  7. ↑ The substance of the U.P. elections. The Hindu(2022-01-27). Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  8. ↑ Dalit Empowerment in India{{#if:Gurusamy|, Gurusamy}. MJP Publisher(2013)
  9. ↑ Buddhism: Its Various Manifestations{{#if:Madan|, Madan}. Mittal Publications(1999). ISBN 978-81-7099-728-3
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Template:Cite encyclopedia
  11. ↑ India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India{{#if:Jaffrelot|, Jaffrelot}. Columbia University Press(2003). ISBN 978-0-231-12786-8
  12. ↑ Women legislators in Indian politics{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Concept Pub. Co.(2003). ISBN 8180690199
  13. ↑ Kanshi Ram declares Mayawati as his successor(15 December 2001). Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  14. ↑ Report indicting Mulayam Singh Yadav comes handy for BJP. India Today(15 August 1996). Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  15. ↑ Why Mayawati cannot stand Mulayam.
  16. ↑ Uttar Pradesh chief quits. BBC News(26 August 2003). Retrieved 2016-03-25.
  17. ↑ PM refuses Jagmohan's head to Mayawati.
  18. ↑ Mayawati rules Uttar Pradesh. India Today(21 May 2007). Retrieved 2016-03-25.
  19. ↑ Akash Anand: 2017 में राजनीति में एंट्री, छह साल में ही मायावती के उत्तराधिकारी घोषित, जानें कौन हैं आकाश आनंद. Amar Ujala(10 Dec 2023).
  20. ↑ Akash Anand is Mayawati's successor in BSP: 5 things to know about him. mint(10 Dec 2023).
  21. ↑ BSP chief Mayawati declares nephew Akash Anand as 'uttaradhikari', says party leader. The Hindu(10 Dec 2023).
  22. ↑ BSP chief questions his 'maturity': After his attack on BJP, Maya sacks nephew as her heir. The Indian Express(2024-05-07). Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  23. ↑ BSP celebrates silver jubilee with golden hopes, Mathew, Liz. Live Mint(2009-04-14). Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  24. ↑ LDA ready with its gift for BSP silver jubilee. The Times of India(6 March 2010). Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  25. ↑ 25 years on, what's next for Mayawati?, Singh, Pallavi. Live Mint(2009-11-18). Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  26. ↑ BSP supporters congregate in Lucknow to celebrate party's 25 years. Sify. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  27. ↑ Lucknow braces for mega BSP rally today. The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  28. ↑ BSP's 25-year Journey: What Next?, Misra, Satish. ORF. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  29. ↑ BSP is not anti-upper caste: Mayawati. Hindustan Times(2008-11-26). Retrieved 2019-05-19.
  30. ↑ Mayawati takes oath as UP CM. NDTV. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  31. ↑ Upper castes played crucial role in bsp victory in up assembly elections. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  32. ↑ Election Commission of India. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  33. ↑ Mayawati effects major reshuffle in BSP, RS Kushwaha appointed state president in UP(26 May 2018). Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  34. ↑ BSP gets third-largest vote share, but no seat. Business Standard. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  35. ↑ 'SP-BSP-RLD thagbandhan won't cross double digits' Template:Webarchive, The Hindu (14 April 2019) Template:Verify source
  36. ↑ We can become kingmakers: BSP chief Mayawati eggs on party workers, P, Shilpa. Deccan Chronicle(2019-04-11). Retrieved 2019-04-13. Template:Verify source
  37. ↑ BSP will play a role in 'balance of power' at Centre: Mayawati. The Hindu(2019-04-10). Retrieved 2019-04-13. Template:Verify source
  38. ↑ Mayawati should be PM, says Pawan Kalyan after poll pact with BSP. She nods. Hindustan Times(2019-03-15). Retrieved 2019-03-20. Template:Verify source
  39. ↑ Will Be Very Happy, Says Akhilesh Yadav on Mayawati As PM Candidate. NDTV.com. Retrieved 2019-03-20. Template:Verify source
  40. ↑ Akhilesh hints at supporting Maya as PM. The Pioneer. Retrieved 2019-03-20. Template:Verify source
  41. ↑ PDA to project Mayawati as next PM, says Khaira. The Hindu(2019-01-23). Retrieved 2019-03-20. Template:Verify source
  42. ↑ Mayawati would make an excellent PM, says Ajit Jogi. Hindustan Times(2018-10-22). Retrieved 2019-03-20. Template:Verify source
  43. ↑ Akhilesh tweets alliance 'logo' made by supporter. The Indian Express(2019-03-20). Retrieved 2019-03-20. Template:Verify source
  44. ↑ SP-BSP Gathbandhan: How effective is the alliance?(12 April 2019). Template:Verify source
  45. ↑ Mahagathbandhan in UP losing five seats because of Congress, one because of Shivpal. The Economic Times(2019-05-23). Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  46. ↑ 'Neither NDA nor INDIA': Mayawati spells out BSP stand, then explains. Hindustan Times(19 July 2023).
  47. ↑ Mayawati's BSP draws blank in Lok Sabha polls: Decoding what went wrong. India Today(5 June 2024).
  48. ↑ Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena Gains Ground in Rajasthan as Two BSP MLAs Join Party. Lokmat Times(2024-04-16). Retrieved 2024-04-16.

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Back to basics, Mayawati to hold cadre camp in Delhi. The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  2. ↑ Journey of a Dalit Party: Why is the BSP Not Able to Extend beyond (...) - Mainstream Weekly. mainstreamweekly.net. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  3. ↑ Kanshi Ram worked for the Republican Party of India for eight years. The Quint. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  4. ↑ Stop Touching My Feet, BSP Chief Mayawati Tells Party Workers. News18(19 February 2018). Retrieved 2019-01-03.

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