Kanshi Ram (centre in the picture, with a young Mayawati on the right) was responsible for pitchforking Dalits to the centre of Uttar Pradesh politics, leading to the decline of national parties like Congress.
Born on March 15, 1934, Kanshi Ram, of Dalit Sikh background, founded the Bahujan Samaj Party in 1984.
He remained a bachelor, was an enigma in Indian politics, and strove for the spread of the Dalit movement throughout the country but achieved success only in Madhya Pradesh apart from Uttar Pradesh.
Kanshi Ram, who launched an organisation for protecting the interests of Dalit workers in government in 1978, floated a political forum -- Dalit Shoshit Sangharsh Samiti -- in 1981 and tested political waters by entering the fray in 1987 in a Lok Sabha byelection against V P Singh in Allahabad when the latter founded Jan Morcha, but failed to make it to Parliament.
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He later won from Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, in 1991 and entered the Lok Sabha.
Along with his protegee Mayawati, he brought the party to power in Uttar Pradesh in 1995 in alliance with the BJP and Mayawati became the chief minister. Ram was also a member of the 11th Lok Sabha (1996-97).
Ram later developed multiple ailments like paralytic stroke, diabetes and hypertension and was virtually bed-ridden at Mayawati's residence.
His last public appearance was in March 2006 on the occasion of his 72nd birthday.
Also read: 'Kanshi Ram brought Ambedkar back into politics'
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