Mayawati Attacks Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi: On the occasion of Kanshi Ram's Mahaparinirvan Diwas, the BSP chief held a major rally in Lucknow. In this, she directly attacked Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi.
Lucknow: After nine years, Mayawati held a major rally in Lucknow on Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary. The BSP supremo had held a major rally in Lucknow on October 9, 2016. Mayawati had demonstrated her strength before the 2017 UP Assembly elections. Now, ahead of the 2027 election season, Mayawati appears to be trying to increase her strength once again. Indeed, the Modi wave did not give opposition parties a chance to stand up in the 2017 UP elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslide victory in this election. Since then, the BSP has not achieved any significant success in the two Lok Sabha and one Assembly elections held in the state. Therefore, this rally by Mayawati was considered significant ahead of the 2027 UP elections. The large crowds cheered Mayawati. She then directly targeted the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. India Block, raising the issue of changing the Constitution in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, cornered the Bharatiya Janata Party. They succeeded in wooing the Dalit vote bank. Mayawati has now launched a scathing attack on this issue.
Akhilesh, Rahul in the crosshairs
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi were among Mayawati’s targets. Mayawati sarcastically said that a drama is being enacted with the Constitution in one hand. These are the same people who have consistently ignored it. Mayawati also targeted Akhilesh Yadav’s “Political Democracy and Dalit Minority” (PDA) politics. She clearly stated that a large section of the society is being deceived through the PDA. It is a weapon to gain power.
Addressing the Dalit vote bank, Mayawati, following the path shown by Kanshi Ram, called for a share in power, not participation in power, for the Bahujan Samaj. She called for unity to pave the way for the BSP’s victory in the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh elections.
Mayawati made a major political announcement on Thursday at a massive rally held in the capital, Lucknow, on the death anniversary of party founder Kanshi Ram. She announced the appointment of her nephew, Akash Anand, as the party’s national vice president. This decision is being seen as a major step towards bringing forward a new generation of leadership within the BSP. Given the unprecedented turnout at the rally and the formal appointment of Akash Anand, it is clear that Mayawati is now gradually preparing to hand over the reins of the BSP to a new generation.
The ground resounded with a crowd of millions.
The rally, held at the Kanshi Ram Memorial in Lucknow, drew a large crowd of BSP supporters from Uttar Pradesh, as well as Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. A large number of women, elderly people, and children also participated. The ground echoed with slogans of “Jai Bhim, Mayawati Zindabad, Akash Anand Zindabad.” For the first time, Mayawati appeared on such a large stage with her nephew, Akash Anand.
Mayawati and Akash Anand waved to their supporters from the stage. Mayawati said that Akash Anand will now be given greater responsibilities within the party to further strengthen the BSP’s organization.
Indicating Election Preparation
Political analysts view this rally as a preparation for the 2027 assembly elections. The BSP has been steadily weakening since losing power in 2012. In the 2017 UP elections, the party won only 19 seats. In the 2022 assembly elections, the BSP won only one seat. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP failed to even open its account. This was the second time since the party entered the electoral fray, after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, that the BSP was not represented in Parliament. Consequently, this rally is being seen as an attempt at political revival for the party.
Mayawati’s Sharp Attack
In her address, Mayawati sharply targeted the Samajwadi Party. She said that when she was in power, Kasganj district was named ‘Kanshi Ram Nagar’, but the name was changed as soon as the SP government came to power. She said that the Samajwadi Party has always insulted Bahujan leader Kanshi Ram and the Dalit community. Now, Dalits and backward classes must become aware. Mayawati also launched an indirect attack on the Congress party, saying that the Constitution was trampled upon during the Emergency. Babasaheb Ambedkar was not allowed to enter Parliament, and even the Bharat Ratna was delayed in his award.
Praising the Yogi Government
Interestingly, Mayawati also praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in her speech. She said that she is grateful to the current BJP government for not suppressing the funds collected from visitors to the memorial, unlike the Samajwadi Party government. The BJP government has adopted appropriate policies for the maintenance of the Kanshi Ram Memorial and other parks.
Mayawati said that the repair work on this memorial, built during the BSP regime, is now almost complete. She said that all of you have broken all records, and lakhs of people have come here to pay their respects. This shows that Kanshi Ram’s mission is still alive.
Curated by: Rahul Parashar
About the Author
Rahul Parashar is a senior journalist at Navbharat Times Online. He has 20 years of experience covering politics, current affairs, development, bureaucracy, education, health, and ground reporting.
Courtesy: Hindi News