There are leaders, who are just not leaders or political genuises who have changed the dynamics of politics in the country and truly has been a political game changer, and one such individual was Kanshi Ram.

Today it's the birth anniversary of the revolutionary leader, who was also known as Bahujan Nayak, or Manyavar or Saheb.

He was a social reformer who worked for the upliftment of the backward classes or lower caste people including yhe untouchable groups who are at the bottom of the caste system.

He himself experienced caste discrimination afterwards became an activist being inspired after reading B.R Ambekar's book Annihilation of Caste. 

Throughout his life he was associated for the betterment of lower and backward classes and tried to uplift them politically.

In 1984 he founded the Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP) and fought his first election   in 1984 from Chattisgarh. The BSP also found success in Uttar Pradesh, though initially it struggled to bridge the divide between Dalits and Other Backward Classes 15 but later under leadership of Mayawati bridged this gap.

The BSP found success in Uttar Pradesh. In 1988, Kanshi Ram contested election from Allahabad seat against a future Prime Minister V.P. Singh and performed impressively.

It was an historic election which made India known to India who is Kanshi Ram, a new star emerged in India since then.

In 1992, after demolition of Babri Masjid, Kanshi Ram joined hand Mulayam Singh Yadav keeping communal forces out of power by creating unity among the backward and Dalit castes and giving popular slogan "Mile Mulayam-Kanshi Ram, Hawa mein ud Gaye Jai Shri Ram."

He died in 2003 due to health complications but throughout his life he fought for the backward and low castes.

His successor BSP President Mayawati paid tribute to him, she tweeted,"Tributes to Honourable Kanshi Ram, who gave strength and momentum to the self respect movement of the most revered Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar by making the deprived and exploited bahujan samaj' a political force."

Source: thePrint and Wikepedia