India, Jan. 1 -- Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati faces a big challenge in 2026. Will she be able to bring the party out of decline or will the 2027 assembly election prove to be the last nail in the BSP's coffin? The sixth successive electoral debacle in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the fall of the vote share to 9% in Uttar Pradesh and the resurgence of Azad Samaj Party (ASP) chief Chandra Shekhar Azad could speed up the end of Mayawati's dominance over Dalit politics in Uttar Pradesh. The expulsion of her nephew Akash Anand from the party and subsequent reinstatements added to confusion among the party cadre. To show that she continues to wield influence over Dalits, the BSP chief organised a big rally in Lucknow on the BSP founder Kanshi Ram's death anniversary on October 9. She resolved the succession issue in the party by appointing Akash Anand as the national convenor. Yet, the BSP chief faces a daunting task to set the party on the revival track. The year 2026 will be crucial for the BSP and it remains to be seen how Mayawati works on her strategy....