Mayawati

Mayawati co-founded the Bahujan Samaj Party with Kanshi Ram to represent Dalits, Adivasis, and other backward classes. The party aimed to challenge upper-caste dominance in Indian politics. This became the vehicle for her political career.

Mayawati became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time with outside support from the BJP. She was the first Dalit woman to hold the office. Her tenure lasted only 139 days but marked a historic milestone for Dalit representation.

Mayawati was accused of corruption in the Taj Heritage Corridor project, which involved alleged misuse of funds for a development project near the Taj Mahal. The Supreme Court criticized her government. The case damaged her reputation but she was not convicted.

Mayawati led the BSP to a decisive victory in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh election, winning 206 seats. She served a full five-year term as chief minister, the first Dalit leader to do so. Her government focused on infrastructure and welfare schemes.

Mayawati's government erected large statues of B.R. Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram, and herself in Lucknow's parks and intersections. The project cost hundreds of crores and was criticized as a waste of public funds. It symbolized Dalit assertion but drew accusations of a personality cult.