Bahujan Samaj Party

For the Nepalese party, see Bahujan Samaj Party, Nepal.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (Hindi: बहुजन समाज पार्टी) is a political party in India. It is a party formed to represent both low caste and Dalit (untouchable) persons, those at the bottom of India's caste system. The BSP has two high-profile, charismatic leaders, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati. In the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004) it had 14 (out of 545) members. Though avowedly a national party, the BSP has yet to exert much influence outside of the large state of Uttar Pradesh, whose government the party has led several times. The deep and mutual hostility between the BSP and the Samajwadi Party – the other leading state party in Uttar Pradesh, whose support is mainly OBC or kshatriya – has led the BSP into government with its erstwhile ideological enemies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (whose leadership is primarily brahmin).

The party's political symbol is an elephant.

See also: List of political parties in India, Politics of India

External link

• Unofficial Bahujan Samaj Party web site