LUCKNOW, March 15 -- With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections gradually coming into focus, the political battle to claim the legacy of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram has intensified, highlighting a wider contest among parties to consolidate Dalit voters in the state. The issue came to the fore on Saturday after BSP chief Mayawati launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), accusing them of attempting to appropriate Kanshi Ram's legacy for electoral gains ahead of his 92nd birth anniversary on Sunday. In a strongly worded statement issued from the party's state headquarters, Mayawati said parties that had historically ignored the struggles and contributions of Bahujan icons were now invoking Kanshi Ram as part of what she described as a "new opportunistic political fashion". "Kanshi Ram organised millions of Dalits, oppressed and marginalised people and converted them into a political force capable of capturing power democratically," Mayawati said, asserting that his mission was to transform the Bahujan community into a "ruling class" through electoral strength. Her remarks came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing a 'Samajik Parivartan Diwas' programme in Lucknow ahead of Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary, acknowledged that the Congress party's shortcomings on the socio-political front had contributed to the rise of the BSP founder as a prominent voice of the marginalised communities. Mayawati said it was "well known" that the Congress ruled the country for decades but failed to accord due respect to Dalit icons such as Dr BR Ambedkar and did not confer the Bharat Ratna on him during its tenure in power. "A party which could not honour Baba Saheb Ambedkar during its rule cannot now claim to genuinely respect Kanshi Ram," she said, questioning the Congress' intent in invoking the BSP founder. Mayawati targeted both the Congress and the SP over their past record, recalling that when Kanshi Ram died in 2006, the Congress-led government at the Centre did not declare national mourning, while the SP government in Uttar Pradesh also did not announce state mourning. Accusing rival parties of trying to politically exploit Kanshi Ram's legacy while simultaneously weakening the BSP, Mayawati urged Bahujan voters to remain cautious and protect the strength of their votes. "Listen to everyone, but do not allow the power of your votes to fall into the hands of vote traders," she said in a direct appeal to the party's traditional support base. Mayawati called upon party workers across Uttar Pradesh and the rest of the country to ensure the success of programmes being organised on Sunday to mark Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary, saying the occasion should strengthen the movement for Bahujan unity and social justice. The political exchange underlines how Kanshi Ram's legacy has once again become central to the battle for Dalit support in Uttar Pradesh where Dalits constitute around one-fifth of the electorate and play a decisive role in political outcomes....