LUCKNOW: With Uttar Pradesh set to go to Assembly polls early next year, major political players are working on seat adjustments, campaign strategies and efforts to strengthen their respective bases.
The contest is shaping up around the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition led by the Samajwadi Party, with the Congress in a possible alliance with the SP.
The BJP has stepped up preparations with visits by central leaders and a focus on its organisational strategy and ideological plank. The party won 255 of the 376 seats it contested in the 2022 UP Assembly polls, securing 41.29% of the votes.
The BJP also launched a month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday on September 17. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inducted six ministers into his council in May this year and has been touring districts and Assembly constituencies. Ministers have also been made in-charges of districts to connect with people.
The Samajwadi Party, which won 111 of the 347 seats it contested in 2022 with a 32.06% vote share, has been focusing on its Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) formula targeting backward classes and minorities.
The SP is now expanding the PDA plank, with ‘P’ also being used for Pandits and the acronym being redefined for motivational purposes as ‘Patience’, ‘Discipline’ and ‘Action’. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched the Samajwadi PDA Yatra from the stronghold of ally Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress, which contested 399 Assembly seats in 2022, won two seats with a 2.33% vote share. While the party has been discussing an alliance with the SP, seat sharing remains unresolved.
Amid organisational issues, the Congress is also looking to change its state chief ahead of the Assembly polls. Rahul Gandhi’s focus on Gen Z voters, the underprivileged, unemployment, democracy and institutional integrity is also expected to feature in the party’s campaign.
The Bahujan Samaj Party, which has witnessed a decline since 2012, is also preparing for the polls. The party won one of the 403 seats it contested in 2022, securing 12.88% of the votes. BSP chief Mayawati has made it clear that her party will contest the 2027 polls on its own.
The Rashtriya Lok Dal, led by Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, won eight of the 33 seats it contested in alliance with the SP in 2022, securing 2.85% of the votes. It later joined the BJP-led NDA and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with the BJP.
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, contested the 2017 Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP. In 2022, it allied with the SP and won six of the 19 seats it contested, securing 1.36% of the votes. The SBSP is now part of the NDA, with Rajbhar serving as a minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet.
The Nishad Party contested the 2022 Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and won six of the 10 seats it contested, securing 0.91% of the valid votes. It remained part of the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Apna Dal (Sone Lal) contested the 2022 Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and won 12 of the 17 seats it contested, securing 1.62% of the total valid votes. It also contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the BJP.
The Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik), led by Raghuraj Pratap Singh, contested the 2022 Assembly polls on its own and won two of the 17 seats it contested.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has launched an early campaign for the 2027 polls, contested 95 seats in 2022 but failed to win any, securing 0.49% of the votes.
