Kanshi ram had made it clear his party had no room for the upper caste; expectedly, the BSP is solidly founded on Dalit support. This leaves it a small party, but one with a distinct and stable social profile; opposite that of the BJP.The BSP has had some success in Uttar Pradesh in broadening its social support to the lower OBCs and the Muslims. This development was crucial to its ideology of a 'bahujan' mobilisation, since the category was always meant to include non-Dalits. Outside Uttar Pradesh, the BSP has made little headway in gaining the confidence of any other section. It remains to be seen if it can retain the Muslim votes it secured in 1996 after entering into the infamous alliance with the BJP.The BSP faces the dilemma of widening the support base with the consequent diluting of its identity as the party of a particular social group, or remaining a small but socially coherent party wielding influence only as long as it is in a pivotal position.The real challenge for the party is to develop a 'bahujan' unity central to its ideology. The fate of its attempts to build a Dalit-Adivasi alliance in Madhya Pradesh will test it again this time.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Sep 4, 2012--- ENDS ---
