Leader of India's lower castes hosts rally displaying her party's strength
Published: Mar 15, 2010 16:17 Updated: Mar 15, 2010 16:17
LUCKNOW, India: Hundreds of thousands of supporters are cheering the powerful and flamboyant leader of India's lowest castes at a massive celebration in northern India to mark the 25th anniversary of her political party.
Mayawati Kumari, 54, is a former school teacher and the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party. She has risen to the upper rungs of India's political landscape by attracting the votes of the Dalits, who are at the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy.
Monday's celebration marked Mayawati's own rise to high political stature as much as it did the birth of her party.
The Bahujan Samaj Party was formed in 1984 by Mayawati's political mentor Kanshi Ram.
The party now governs India's largest state, Uttar Pradesh, home to 180 million people.
