Kanshi Ram, the late Dalit leader, seems to have suddenly emerged as a political mascot for parties across the spectrum in the run-up to next year’s Uttar Pradesh elections.

His protégé and BSP president Mayawati has expectedly announced celebrations of his 92nd birth anniversary on Sunday, amid indications they would be held on a grander scale than before.

Her arch-rival Samajwadi Party, too, has for the first time decided to mark the day across the state, apparently to unite its Yadav-Muslim base with other backward castes and Dalits.

Even the BJP has jumped onto the bandwagon: the party will organise its maiden celebrations of the BSP founder’s birthday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met party workers in Lucknow on Friday evening and announced the party would send a proposal to the Narendra Modi
government to award the Bharat Ratna to Kanshi Ram (1934-2006).

Rahul was quoted as saying that if the Modi government ignored the proposal, the Congress would do the honours when it came to power at the Centre.

The media was barred from Rahul’s meeting, but sources said he imitated a trademark gesture of Kanshi Ram.

“Rahul showed a pen and turned it upside down, suggesting he wanted to change the social structure,” a Congress leader said, asking not to be identified.

Decades ago, when Kanshi Ram contested the Etawah by-election with Samajwadi support, he would often hold up a pen, turn it upside down and say: “I want to do this to society.”

The Congress leader who spoke to this newspaper expressed fear that Rahul’s focus on optics rather than silent groundwork among Dalits might not pay political dividends.

Mayawati, who was chief minister three times before, attacked the Congress over its newfound love for Kanshi Ram.

“The Congress gave Ambedkar neither respect nor a Bharat Ratna. Why will they give this honour to Kanshi Ram?” she posted on X.

Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990 by V.P. Singh’s National Front government.

“The Congress was in power at the Centre when Kanshi Ram passed away but it didn’t announce a national holiday to mourn his death,” Mayawati posted.

“All the political parties are trying various ruses to weaken the BSP, founded by Kanshi Ram.”

Samajwadi president Akhilesh Yadav plans to observe Kanshi Ram’s birthday as “PDA (Peechra, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) Day”.

“He wanted to unite the PDA; we are taking his legacy forward,” he said.

Ram Chandra Kannojia, who heads the state unit of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha, said: “The BJP is working for the Dalits. Our leaders will pay tributes to Kanshi Ram across the state on Sunday.”