The BJP paid homage to Kanshi Ram, the founder of BSP, on his 89th birthday anniversary. The move came in the midst of the party’s efforts to reach out to Dalits ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP-led Centre had honoured Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav with a posthumous Padma Vibhushan earlier this year. BJP turned to Kanshi Ram, a Dalit ideologue who had turned BSP into a political powerhouse in UP after forming it in 1984. CM Yogi Adityanath paid tribute to Kanshi Ram by tweeting that he fought for the overall upliftment of Dalits, while UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary called him an accomplished politician and a powerful voice of Dalits, deprived and exploited sections of society.
Although there is a shared political history between BJP and Kanshi Ram, BSP was not impressed with BJP’s move, accusing it of being two-faced. BSP’s state president Vishwanath Pal said that BJP needs to follow Kanshi Ram’s ideals, as its ideology is opposite to what he professed. However, BJP was unperturbed by the reaction, and party sources said that they honor people for their socio-political contributions. This reflects its Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas ideology, and there is nothing wrong in remembering Kanshi Ram.
This move is seen as a step towards expanding BJP’s outreach among Dalits, a formidable electoral bloc that leaned towards the party since PM Narendra Modi’s triumph in 2014. BJP has been consistently invoking Dalit icon BR Ambedkar since 2014. However, the opposition has accused BJP of denouncing his ideas, so BJP needs to answer those criticisms.
In conclusion, BJP’s homage to Kanshi Ram shows its efforts to reach out to Dalits ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. BJP has been consistently invoking BR Ambedkar since 2014 to woo the Dalit electoral bloc. This is seen as another political feeler to consolidate the Dalits. Despite BSP’s accusations of BJP being two-faced, BJP remains committed to its Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas ideology and honoring people for their contributions.
