BSP's Transformation into Multiethnic Outfit

Abstract

An outfit floated by Late Kanshi Ram in 1984, the BSP has travelled a long distance and is being considered a national party in the Lok Sabha election since 1998. Having its root in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP has been fielding its candidates across all the states and union territories since 1989. Over the years, the party BSP that initially was confined to the dalits votes only has sought to expand its voter base by including member of the forward (savran/upper castes) and Muslim community. This transformed BSP from a dalit centric party into a multiethnic outfit.