What was significant about the BSP's success in the 1989 and 1991 elections?

It was the first instance of a party mainly supported by Dalit voters achieving political breakthroughs.

The correct answer is Option 2- It was the first instance of a party mainly supported by Dalit voters achieving political breakthroughs.

During the 1980s, a significant upsurge in the political mobilization of Dalits was witnessed. In 1978, the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) was established, setting itself apart from conventional government employee unions. BAMCEF strongly advocated for political empowerment of the 'bahujan' populace, comprising Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and religious minorities. This laid the foundation for subsequent entities like the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), all under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.

Initially, the BSP was a modestly sized party, primarily backed by Dalit voters in regions such as Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. However, a turning point occurred in 1989 and the 1991 elections when the BSP made remarkable strides in Uttar Pradesh. This marked the first instance in independent India where a political party mainly supported by Dalit voters achieved such significant political accomplishments.

Kanshi Ram envisioned the BSP as a pragmatic political organization. The party drew strength from the reality that the Bahujans, encompassing SCs, STs, OBCs, and religious minorities, constituted a substantial majority of the population, thereby holding substantial political influence due to their numerical strength.