Mayawati
Four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and president of the Bahujan Samaj Party
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Mayawati is the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party and was four times Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. In 1995 she became the first Dalit woman to head a state government in India, and in 2007 she led the BSP to an outright majority in the state.
Biography
Early life
Mayawati grew up in a Dalit family in Delhi. She earned a BA from Kalindi College, a law degree from the University of Delhi and a BEd, and worked as a schoolteacher while preparing for the civil services. In 1977 she met Kanshi Ram, who persuaded her to take up politics instead.
Bahujan Samaj Party
She was a founding member of the Bahujan Samaj Party in 1984, which aimed to unite Dalits, backward classes and minorities, and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bijnor in 1989. Kanshi Ram named her his successor, and she has been party president since 2003.
Chief Minister
Mayawati became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1995, the first Dalit woman Chief Minister in India, and held the post again in 1997 and 2002–03 in coalition governments. In 2007 her “sarvajan” social-engineering strategy, bringing Brahmins and other groups into the BSP coalition, won an outright majority, and she served a full term until 2012.
Her governments built large memorials and parks in Lucknow and Noida honouring Dalit icons including B. R. Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, which supporters saw as symbols of dignity and critics as extravagance. The BSP’s electoral fortunes have declined since 2012.
Kanshi Ram and the BSP
Mayawati became the most important lieutenant of Kanshi Ram, the founder of the BSP, who championed political power for Dalits and other marginalised “Bahujan” groups. After his health failed she took over the party’s leadership, and in 2006 she performed his last rites. She has described their political partnership in her writings.
Governance and controversies
Her 2007–12 government was credited by supporters with improving law and order, while critics focused on the large sums spent on memorials, parks and statues of Dalit icons — including of herself — and on disproportionate-assets investigations, which she called politically motivated. After 2012 the BSP declined electorally, winning no Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 2024.
Timeline
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1956
Born in New Delhi, India
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1977
Meets Kanshi Ram
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1984
Founding member of the BSP
With Kanshi Ram.
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1989
Elected MP for Bijnor
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1995
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
First Dalit woman Chief Minister in India.
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2003
BSP president
Succeeds Kanshi Ram.
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2006
Kanshi Ram dies
She performs his last rites.
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2007
Wins an outright majority
Serves a full term until 2012.
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2008
Ambedkar Memorial Park, Lucknow, opens
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2012
Elected to the Rajya Sabha
Until 2017.
Did you know?
-
1
She was preparing for the civil services when Kanshi Ram persuaded her to enter politics.
-
2
She was the first Dalit woman to become a Chief Minister in India.
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3
She has never married.
Gallery
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Mayawati?
Mayawati is the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party and was four times Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. In 1995 she became the first Dalit woman to head a state government in India, and in 2007 she led the BSP to an outright majority in the state.
How old is Mayawati?
Mayawati is 70 years old, born on 15 January 1956 in New Delhi, India.
Where is Mayawati from?
Mayawati was born in New Delhi, India.
What is Mayawati known for?
Mayawati is best known for First Dalit woman to become a Chief Minister in India.
References
- Mayawati — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Mayawati — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Mayawati — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Mayawati (Q264896) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
- First published 26 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Mayawati.” TrackFame, last updated 26 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/mayawati
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