Question
Describe Bahujan Samaj Party with special reference to its emergence as a major political player in UP.
Solution
(i) It was out of BAMCEF that the subsequent Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan Samaj Party emerged under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.
(ii) The party got support largely from the Dalit voters in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
(iii) In 1989 and 1991 elections, it achieved breakthrough in UP mainly with the support of Dalit voters.
(iv) BSP, under kanshi Ram's leadership was envisaged as an organisation based on pragmatic politics.
(v) BSP has emerged as a major political player in the UP state and has been in government on more than one occasion.
(vi) Its strongest support still comes from Dalit voters, but it has expanded its support now to various other social groups in many parts of India.
