Kanshi Ram (March 15 1934 – October 9 2006) was an Indian politician of Dalit Sikh background. He founded the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a political party with the stated goal of serving the traditionally lower castes of Indian society, including Sudras and Dalits (Untouchables). He shared the BSP's leadership with Mayawati. Their leadership brought the party to power in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh in 1995, at which point Mayawati became the state's chief minister.