BSP founder Kanshiram dead, cremation in Delhi today

New Delhi, Oct 9: Dalit leader Mr Kashiram and founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) died following a heart attack at around 0100 hrs here.

He was 72. Mr Kanshiram died at BSP chief Ms Mayawati's 11, Humayun Road residence where he had been living after a long hospitalisation.

He is survived by his two brothers and two sisters.

Mr Kashiram who was bachelor devoted life to the cause of fighting against injustice to Dalits and other weaker sections.

Party chief Ms Mayawati who was around when the end came, announced his death with a sense of shock and said he will be cremated as per Buddhist rituals at Nigam Bodh Ghat in the capital today at 1600 hrs.

''His death was an irrepareble loss to the party and to the cause of the social justice,'' she added.

Before cremation, Mr Khasiram body will be kept at party headquarters at 12, Gurudwara Rakabganj Road to enable the public to pay their last respect to the late leader.

Mr Kanshiram was born in village Khawaspur of Ropar district in the year 1934. In an attempt to promote the interests of government employees belonging to weaker sections Mr Kanshiram formed a organistaion of government employees ''The Backward and Minorities Employees Federation (BAMCEF)'' in 1973.

He transformed it into a political outfit in December 1982 when he formed the ''Dalit Soshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS4)''.

It was finally transformed into the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1984 with the aim of organsiing Dalit classes into a political force.

The party first established as a political force in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 1993 when Ms Mayawati headed the coalition government with Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party.

Mr Kashiram had declared Ms Mayawati as his political successor at Lucknow on December 15, 2002.

The BSP first entered the election fray in 1984 but fared badly, losing 207 seats.

The party first came into limelight when Kanshiram fought the Allahabad Lok Sabha bypoll in 1987 against V P Singh, who eventually won the election.

The party came to power on its own in 1995 with Ms Mayawati forming government with the support of BJP. The party later went out of power in the state. It continued to be a major political force and is now a strong contender for power in the coming Assembly elections next year in the state.

Besides, Dalits, the BSP has in recent years extended its vote base to upper castes also.

The party send 19 MPS to the Lok Sabha is the last elections.

Mr Kanshiram was elected twice to the Lok Sabha and remained a member of Rajya Sabha too.

Mr Kanshiram remained out of active politics for quite some time due to his illness and during this period, he lived at Mayawati's residence.

Members of his family had also alleged that Mayawati has been essentially holding him captive in order to control the BSP.

Finally, the Supreme Court in its decision of April 8, 2005 ordered a team of doctors to examine his physical and mental condition.

UNI