BJP eyes SP’s 91 seats, candidates after Akhilesh’s choices
CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News / Agencies:
Ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party has prepared a separate electoral strategy for 91 seats where the Samajwadi Party has strong influence. On these seats, instead of declaring candidates in haste, the BJP will wait for the names of the Samajwadi Party’s candidates to be announced. The objective is to understand Akhilesh Yadav’s candidate-selection strategy and then decide the face of the contest accordingly, based on caste and local equations. The party is also assessing potential candidates on these seats through surveys and ground feedback.
Three main pillars of the BJP’s strategy are being cited. First, if the SP fields a Yadav or Muslim candidate, priority may be given to a non-Yadav backward-class candidate against them. Second, if the SP chooses a non-Yadav OBC candidate, the BJP may consider a Yadav face as an option. Third, the possibility of bringing leaders upset over being denied SP tickets into its fold and fielding them in the election will also be explored.
The biggest political reason behind this strategy is Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA formula – the backward classes, Dalits and minorities equation. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the SP showed its political strength by winning 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh with the help of this social alliance. The BJP is now focusing on strengthening its hold among non-Yadav OBC and non-Jatav Dalit voters.
Politically, this contest is not limited to candidate selection alone, but is also a test of the social alliances of both parties. While the SP wants to broaden its support base through caste representation and PDA, the BJP is trying to connect caste equations with local candidates and its wider socio-cultural message.
However, a candidate’s caste equation alone will not guarantee victory. Local resentment, the performance of the MLA, organisational strength and the candidate’s personal acceptability will also remain decisive factors. The BJP’s wait on these 91 seats shows that preparations are being made to change its strategy according to Akhilesh Yadav’s moves in the 2027 battle.
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