Elections are due in both States—Uttar Pradesh, the karmabhoomi of Kanshi Ram, and Punjab, the janmabhoomi of the Dalit icon—in 2027. Kanshi Ram was elected to the Lok Sabha from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh in 1991 and from Hoshiarpur in Punjab in 1996. The Congress is hopeful that latching on to the symbol of Kanshi Ram will help it in both States. The BJP will do everything in its power to fill the gap in its Dalit outreach; Kanshi Ram is too potent a symbol to ignore. The emerging Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad’s party itself is named Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram).

Source: The Hindu March 20, 2026 11:56 UTC