Exactly four years after BSP chief Mayawati's fiery address at the Shradhanjali Sabha in 2021, the former UP Chief Minister returned to the same venue in Lucknow on Thursday—louder and sharper than before. Reacting to the gathering where at least two lakh party members had joined in, an observer noted, "Nawabon ka sheher neelmay ho gaya hai". With the BSP virtually wiped out in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, the UP Assembly, the party has never looked this frail. Yet, the timing of this grand mobilisation, about a year ahead of the crucial 2027 UP Assembly polls, has people asking if the elephant is finally stirring for the big fight.

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The truth, however, is more layered. The elephant (BSP's poll symbol) didn't just wake up one fine day. It had been biding its time, working silently and waiting for the right moment to trumpet again. Mayawati has also roped in her nephew Akash Anand, who she had declared as her political heir, on the centrestage. For at least six months leading up to the rally, the party was working hard, strengthening its grassroots connections in preparation for the Thursday showdown, said sources with knowledge of the party's functioning.

MAYAWATI BLOWS THE BUGLE; ATTACKS SP CONGRESS FOR INSULTING DALITS

Marking the 19th death anniversary of BSP founder and Dalit icon Kanshi Ram, lakhs of party workers and leaders from across Uttar Pradesh poured int