Akhilesh Yadav to assess ticket contenders' strengths ahead of Mission 2027 Assembly elections

Vidya Shankar Rai

Lucknow, Oct 31 (UNI) The Samajwadi Party, which is preparing for the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, has already begun working on a strategy for candidate selection.

Party President Akhilesh Yadav has assigned 11 senior leaders the crucial responsibility of assessing the political strength and electoral prospects of ticket contenders. These leaders will visit their constituencies under their influence, assess the political and social dynamics, and submit their report to the party's state headquarters.

According to party sources here on Saturday, the SP headquarters is sending letters to senior leaders, assigning their areas of work and responsibilities. These leaders will visit the respective constituencies to assess the popularity of potential candidates, their organizational activism, and their election winning potential. They will also gather information on the preferences of the voters in the area, local issues, and caste dynamics. Senior officials say this exercise is a crucial part of the SP's ticket selection process for the 2027 elections.

Based on the report, the party will attempt to determine which candidates are strong in each assembly constituency and which candidates' support base is limited to mere claims. Furthermore, voters' perceptions of the government and the opposition, and which issues could influence voting, will also be assessed.

Sources indicate that the Samajwadi Party (SP) has long been accused of pursuing Yadav-centric politics. Akhilesh Yadav has this time strategized to dent the BJP's OBC vote bank by highlighting influential leaders from the non-Yadav backward classes. Leaders with influence among the Kurmi, Maurya, Kushwaha, Shakya, Saini, Rajbhar, Nishad, and other backward castes have been given responsibility. This category includes Babu Singh Kushwaha, Ram Achal Rajbhar, Vishambar Prasad Nishad, and Ravindra Prakash Verma. Babu Singh Kushwaha is considered important due to his influence among the Maurya, Kushwaha, Shakya, and Saini communities.

The party aims to strengthen its hold within the Rajbhar community through Ram Achal Rajbhar. This is also seen as a counter to the political influence of Om Prakash Rajbhar. Similarly, Vishambar Prasad Nishad has been tasked with strengthening the party's base among the Nishad, Kashyap, Mallah, and Bind communities.

By promoting Ravindra Prakash Verma, who has influence in the Kurmi community, the SP also aims to expand its reach within Anupriya Patel's social base. The SP's strategy also places a special emphasis on wooing Dalit voters. For this purpose, Awadhesh Prasad, Indrajit Saroj, Daddu Prasad, and Ramji Lal Suman have been assigned the responsibility. Awadhesh Prasad, who won the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in Ayodhya in 2024, has emerged as a prominent face of the SP in Dalit politics.

The party considers Indrajit Saroj's influence among the Dalit community in Awadh and Purvanchal to be crucial. Meanwhile, Daddu Prasad's political influence in Bundelkhand and Ramji Lal Suman's influence in Western Uttar Pradesh will be leveraged to reach out to Dalit voters. Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Jasmeer Ansari have also been given important responsibilities to maintain the party's strong hold among Muslim voters. Through Naseemuddin Siddiqui, who has long played an influential role in the BSP, the SP aims to strengthen the Muslim-Dalit social equation in Western Uttar Pradesh and other regions. Jasmeer Ansari, who joined the SP from the BSP, is considered important due to his influence within the Ansari community.

The party wants to use him to expand its political reach among the Muslim community. MP Harendra Malik has been given the responsibility to maintain his influence among Jat and farmer voters in Western Uttar Pradesh. Following the Rashtriya Lok Dal's alliance with the BJP, the SP wants to maintain the Jat-Muslim-Dalit equation in Western Uttar Pradesh. In such a situation, Harendra Malik's role will be crucial.

Party sources said that a key part of the party's strategy is to inform voters about the development work done during the SP government's tenure between 2012 and 2017. Leaders in charge will need to reach out to the public in their respective areas and remind them of the development work done during that period. They will also need to prepare reports based on local issues and public expectations.

The party will need to reach out to the public and remind them of the development work done during that period. Additionally, a report will be prepared based on understanding local problems and public expectations. Political analysts believe that this exercise by the Samajwadi Party is not limited to shortlisting ticket contenders; it also aims to test the party's social alignment and regional organization's strength before the elections.

The report will also reveal the success of the PDA (Backward, Dalit, and Minority) strategy on the ground and in which areas the party needs to work harder. Party National Secretary and spokesperson Rajiv Rai stated that the party is fully prepared for the 2027 assembly elections. This time, the Samajwadi Party will form a government in Uttar Pradesh with an absolute majority, and the public has already shown its promise in the MLC elections. The countdown to the government has begun.

UNI RAI/ MBD ARN