Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to visit Lucknow on March 13 to attend a Congress event at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, where he will address a gathering of prominent Dalit leaders, social activists, and intellectuals.
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As Uttar Pradesh gears up for the 2027 Assembly elections, politics around the legacy of Kanshi Ram has intensified, with major parties attempting to connect with the Bahujan community ahead of his birth anniversary on March 15.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to visit Lucknow on March 13 to attend a Congress event at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, where he will address a gathering of prominent Dalit leaders, social activists, and intellectuals. The programme, being organised two days before Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary, will focus on social justice and representation in governance.
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The event is being seen as an attempt by the Indian National Congress to rebuild ties with Dalit leaders and intellectuals in Uttar Pradesh — a state where Kanshi Ram built the Bahujan Samaj Party into a major political force after founding it in 1984.
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Congress leaders say the discussion will highlight Kanshi Ram’s contribution to the Bahujan political movement and reiterate the party’s commitment to the rights and representation of marginalised communities.
Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow, Congress leader and Chairman of Congress SC Cell, Rajendra Pal Gautam, sharply criticised the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gautam alleged that the government has “surrendered” economically and is allowing the United States to influence key decisions.
According to him, the country is unable to decide from whom it should purchase oil and is becoming dependent on imports of agricultural commodities such as rice, soybeans and cotton. “If these products start coming from abroad, what will happen to our farmers?” he asked, claiming that recent agreements with the United States could harm both farmers and common people.
Gautam also accused the ruling government of weakening welfare mechanisms that once helped poor students pursue education. He said that during earlier Congress governments, scholarships helped children from poor families become engineers and doctors, but such support systems have been weakened.
He added that Congress will continue to raise issues such as education, employment, and the Constitution at the grassroots level and aims to emerge as a strong alternative in Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai accused the state government of failing to protect Dalits, citing recent incidents of violence and alleging that the administration was indifferent to atrocities against marginalised communities.
The Congress programme also comes amid an escalating political tussle between the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party over Kanshi Ram’s legacy.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav recently announced that his party will celebrate Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary on a large scale as “PDA Day,” referring to the party’s political slogan representing “Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak” (Backward classes, Dalits and minorities).
However, BSP president Mayawati strongly criticised the move, calling it a “political drama.” She accused the Samajwadi Party of historically disrespecting Bahujan leaders and questioned its intentions in celebrating Kanshi Ram’s legacy.
Despite some decline in recent years, the BSP continues to retain a significant share of the Bahujan vote base in Uttar Pradesh. Political observers say that both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are now trying to expand their appeal among these voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
With multiple parties invoking Kanshi Ram’s ideology and legacy, the upcoming birth anniversary has turned into a major political battleground in Uttar Pradesh.
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