Overview
- Rahul Gandhi urged the prime minister to confer the Bharat Ratna on BSP founder Kanshi Ram, drawing a public rebuttal from Mayawati on X.
- Congress intensified its outreach with a Samajik Parivartan Diwas event in Lucknow that paired its leaders with Dalit icons and sought grassroots volunteers.
- Hindustan Times reports rival parties now invoke Kanshi Ram's legacy as they court Dalit voters who comprise roughly one‑fifth of Uttar Pradesh's population.
- BJP leaders previously secured some Dalit support through welfare schemes but lost ground in 2024 as concerns over the Constitution and quotas gained traction, according to HT.
- The 2024 results reshaped the state: SP won 37 seats and Congress 6, while the BJP fell to 33, with CSDS‑Lokniti finding strong INDIA bloc support among Muslims, Yadavs and many non‑Jatav Dalits.