With political parties like the Samajwadi Party and BJP making concerted efforts to court the Pasi community ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Congress has joined the fray by invoking a notable figure from the community—a freedom fighter and social reformer.

On Sunday, Congress commemorated the death anniversary of Pasi leader Masuriya Din Pasi, a member of the Constituent Assembly who went on to become an MLA and MP after Independence.

Masuriya Din Pasi, who was co-elected from the Phulpur Lok Sabha constituency alongside then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952 and 1957, is renowned for launching a movement to abolish the Criminal Tribes Act, implemented during British rule. He also worked towards improving education for the scheduled castes.

The Congress marked his death anniversary in Mallihabad, a Pasi-dominated area near Lucknow, with a seminar attended by Pasi leaders to discuss his contributions to community empowerment as a party ideologue.

“We celebrated his birth anniversary on October 2 last year. Though he was somewhat forgotten, we will revive his legacy, his struggles for the community, and his role in abolishing the Criminal Tribes Act,” said Indal Kumar Rawat, a former MLA and member of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee. The Mallihabad event was also attended by the party’s state president Ajay Rai.

Masuriya Din, born on October 2, 1911, in Prayagraj, was imprisoned for protesting against the Criminal Tribes Act. He served in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the then Chail constituency (now Kaushambi) in 1962 and 1967.

“He is a Pasi icon but was forgotten over time. He played a significant role in the community’s empowerment, especially in education. We will also highlight other Pasi icons,” Rawat added.

On October 2 last year, the state party unit placed Masuriya Din’s photograph alongside Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, offering floral tributes. This time, the party chose to mark his death anniversary in a Pasi-dominated area.

The Pasis, the second-largest Dalit community in Uttar Pradesh after Jatavs, make up around 16% of the state’s scheduled caste population and have a strong presence in the Awadh region.

Recently, Samajwadi Party’s Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad invoked Pasi icons Uda Devi and Maharaja Bijli Pasi at his swearing-in ceremony.

In recent elections, the Pasi community largely supported the BJP but appeared to shift towards the INDIA bloc in the latest Lok Sabha polls. Congress attributes this shift to the Pasi presence in the alliance, while the SP believes it is due to increased community participation within its ranks.

The ruling BJP is also attempting to win back the community, with its leadership recently invoking 11th-century Pasi ruler Lakhan Pasi during a working committee meeting in Lucknow.