Mayawati holds meeting with Muslim leaders after formation of Bhaichara committees

In a clear move aimed at reshaping Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Wednesday launched an extensive outreach to strengthen Dalit–Muslim unity through the formation of Muslim Bhaichara (Brotherhood) Committees across the state.

Addressing a special meeting of the newly-formed BSP Muslim Bhaichara committees here, Mayawati outlined her strategy to consolidate the Bahujan base, particularly Dalits, Muslims, and other backward and marginalized communities, under one umbrella.

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The move is seen as an attempt to make a significant dent in Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank, which has been the core of SP’s renewed social engineering efforts.

According to Mayawati, two coordinators — one Dalit and one Muslim — have been appointed in each of the state’s 18 administrative divisions. These coordinators will hold local meetings at the assembly level to expand BSP’s presence within Muslim communities and recruit new members. Progress reports from these grassroots drives will be sent directly to the BSP’s state headquarters for her review.

Highlighting the BSP’s past record, she said her government had ensured security, dignity, and fair representation for Muslims, providing them a “riot-free, fear-free” atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh.

She accused the SP and Congress of using Muslims only as vote banks while failing to protect their real interests or challenge the BJP effectively.

“Despite getting overwhelming Muslim support, SP and Congress have repeatedly failed to defeat the BJP,” she said. “When BSP received even partial Muslim backing, we not only stopped the BJP but formed a majority government in 2007. The message is clear — only the BSP has the credibility and track record to safeguard the interests of Dalits and Muslims alike.”

Mayawati also issued a stern warning against internal sabotage, referring to the expulsion of Shamsuddin Raini, whom she accused of damaging the party’s prospects in Western UP during recent elections.

Framing the new outreach as part of the larger “Bahujan Mission” envisioned by Dr BR Ambedkar, Mayawati reiterated that BSP’s goal is to empower the deprived sections through political power, not charity.

Political observers see this as Mayawati’s most assertive organizational move since the 2022 Assembly elections, signaling that the BSP plans to re-enter the 2027 contest as a serious contender by reviving the Dalit–Muslim social coalition that once propelled it to power.

With this recalibration, the battle for Uttar Pradesh’s crucial minority and backward caste vote appears set for an intense three-way contest among the BSP, SP, and BJP.

The meeting was also attended by party vice president and Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand, national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, state president Vishwanath Pal and all district heads.