UP elections: BSP's politics of makeover

The Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP) rose to prominence in the 1990s with the unofficial slogan, "Bash the Brahmins". It was indeed a political master stroke by party founder and UP chief minister Mayawati’s mentor Kanshi Ram.

But as the party acquired more power and clout, it shifted gears - and in the process, its slogan changed to "let’s share power and expand vote base".

BSP, the quintessential Dalit party, became a rainbow organisation by 2007, recruiting leaders from across the caste spectrum, especially the Brahmins. The move has paid off, so far.

Will the strategy continue to click is an altogether different question, but the eclectic nature of the party - despite its deep Dalit root and vote base - is reflected even in the "tainted" list of sitting MLAs dropped by Mayawati for the upcoming polls. It includes seven Brahmins, four OBCs, three Thakurs, three Muslims and two Dalits.

ET takes a closer look: