Lucknow: Umashankar Singh, the Bahujan Samaj Party’s lone MLA in Uttar Pradesh and a trusted confidant of BSP chief Mayawati, died on Wednesday at Gurgaon’s Fortis Hospital after a prolonged battle with brain cancer. He was 56.A three-time legislator from Ballia’s Rasra assembly constituency, Singh represented one of the last remaining pillars of the BSP’s electoral presence in the state. His death marks the end of a political journey that was deeply intertwined with the party’s fortunes and with Mayawati herself, who regarded him as a younger brother and tied rakhi to him on Raksha Bandhan last year.Announcing his demise, an emotional Mayawati described Singh as a “dedicated, honest, loyal and popular” party leader. “The news of his passing is extremely heartbreaking,” she said, recalling his unwavering commitment to the BSP and the close bond he shared with her and her family. With his demise, BSP will be reduced to zero in the UP Assembly as the election panel has already announced that there won’t be any byelection in the state, which will go the polls early next year.Singh had been undergoing treatment for a brain tumour for the past three years. He underwent surgery after winning the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election, in which he emerged as the BSP’s sole victorious candidate, carrying the party’s flag in a House otherwise emptied of its blue benches.Born into a business family, Singh built his political identity not merely through electoral victories but through extensive social work in eastern UP. In Ballia, many knew him less as a politician and more as a benefactor. His large-scale community marriage programmes became the stuff of local legend. In 2012, he organised the marriages of 251 girls, followed by another mass wedding ceremony for 351 girls in 2016. For many residents, he was simply remembered as “woh jo shadiyan karate hain”.Though he entered electoral politics only in 2012, Singh remained remarkably loyal to the BSP throughout his career, contesting every election on the party’s ticket. His rise coincided with the party’s decline, yet he continued to hold the Rasra seat through successive elections, becoming one of the few BSP leaders capable of sustaining a strong personal base amid the party’s shrinking footprint.His relationship with Mayawati went beyond politics. Last year, when the BSP president tied rakhi to him, Singh spoke warmly of her concern during his illness. Recalling a visit she made to his home in March 2025 without prior notice, he had said that despite her reputation as a private person, she constantly checked on his health and regularly spoke to his son for updates. “That is what only a sister would do,” he had told TOI.The affection was mutual. Mayawati attended both his daughter’s and son’s weddings, underscoring the familial bond that existed alongside their political association. When asked after the rakhi ceremony what gift he intended to give his “elder sister”, Singh’s answer reflected the loyalty for which he was known: “My gift was my promise to her that I am not going anywhere from here. I will stay with her always, with this party.”That loyalty occasionally tested political conventions. In the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, Singh voted for BJP candidate Sanjay Seth, citing a longstanding personal relationship. Despite criticism from rivals who accused the BSP of being close to the BJP, Mayawati stood by him, allowing the cross-vote without public reprimand.Tributes poured in on Wednesday from across the political spectrum. BSP national coordinator Akash Anand described Singh as a committed soldier of the Bahujan movement whose death was an irreparable loss to the party. Senior BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra said his passing was a loss not only to politics but to society at large. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was among leaders from other parties who also expressed condolences.For the BSP, Singh’s death is more than the loss of a legislator. It is the departure of one of the last leaders who embodied the party’s organisational resilience in UP, a politician whose personal popularity often outpaced the party’s declining fortunes. For Ballia, he leaves behind a legacy of social outreach and grassroots engagement. And for Mayawati, he leaves the memory of a political colleague who, in her own words, was also family.
