The major poll players in Uttar Pradesh are preparing to make strategic moves on the state’s political chessboard in the coming weeks as they fine-tune caste and regional equations, firm up seat adjustments for the 2027 assembly elections, plan high-intensity campaigns and look to make deep forays into their rivals’ domain.
The BJP won 255 out of 376 seats contested in the 2022 UP polls, securing 41.29% of the votes (the share of votes on the seats contested was 44.15%). The party also launched a month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday on September 17 to commemorate his 25 years in public service, highlighting achievements under his leadership. The Samajwadi Party won 111 out of 347 seats contested in the 2022 polls and got 32.06% of the total valid votes and 37.25% of the votes in terms of the seats contested. The Rashtriya Lok Dal won eight of the 33 assembly seats contested in alliance with the Samajwadi Party in 2022. It secured 2.85% of the total valid votes and 33.88% of the votes in the seats contested. Switching sides, the RLD contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with the BJP as part of the National Democratic Alliance. The RLD is still considered a strong NDA constituent in the 2027 polls. The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party contested the 2017 UP elections in alliance with the BJP. In 2022, it allied with the Samajwadi Party and won six of the 19 seats contested, securing 1.36% votes. The SBSP, now a partner in the Yogi government, contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP. As for the Nishad Party, its chief Sanjay Nishad’s son Praveen Nishad won the 2018 Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-election on the Samajwadi Party ticket. A year later, the Nishad Party announced a brief alliance with the Samajwadi Party-BSP coalition for 2019 Lok Sabha elections but soon parted ways and aligned with the BJP with Praveen Nishad joining the ruling party.
As of now, the UP assembly elections appear to be a straight contest between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the main opposition led by the Samajwadi Party with the Congress as a possible partner. However, new political alliances and caste combinations may make or mar the prospect of any political combination. The BJP, the leading NDA constituent, has been busy working out its strategy amid tours by its leaders to connect with the people. It will depute the party top brass and bank on chief minister Yogi Adityanath as well as its ideological plank.
