SP is consciously attempting to reduce its dependence on its traditional Muslim-Yadav support base.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has begun an extensive internal exercise to reshape its electoral strategy for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with the party placing its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) formula at the centre of candidate selection and social outreach. Alongside intense discussions over ticket allocation and representation, the party is also engaged in seat-sharing negotiations with Congress while keeping its alliance options open with other regional players.
According to senior party sources, the SP is consciously attempting to reduce its dependence on its traditional Muslim-Yadav (MY) support base and broaden its appeal among non-Yadav Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The leadership believes that expanding representation for other backward communities will help the party make inroads into voter groups that have traditionally supported BJP allies such as the Apna Dal, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, the Nishad Party and other smaller caste-based outfits.
Sources said the party is considering increasing the representation of communities such as Gujjars, Kurmis, Patels, Kevats, Rajbhars, Mallahs and Nishads in its list of candidates. The strategy is aimed at directly challenging the National Democratic Alliance’s caste arithmetic by giving greater political space to communities that have increasingly emerged as decisive electoral blocs in Uttar Pradesh.
The party is also seeking to expand its social coalition by fielding Dalit and non-Yadav OBC candidates from general constituencies instead of relying primarily on its traditional Yadav-Muslim vote bank. According to party insiders, the objective is to strengthen the broader PDA coalition and position the SP as the principal political platform for backward classes, Dalits and minorities.
Sources said the candidate selection process has now entered its second phase. The first phase, completed earlier this month, covered nearly 200 Assembly constituencies spread across 30 districts, where the party prepared an initial list of prospective candidates. The entire screening process is expected to conclude by the second week of July.
The SP is following a candidate selection model similar to the one adopted during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. District-wise meetings are being held in an “open house” format where ticket aspirants and district office-bearers interact directly with party president Akhilesh Yadav and the central leadership. Aspirants are asked to present their electoral strategy and roadmap for victory, while district functionaries provide their assessments of each candidate in face-to-face discussions.
Party sources said Akhilesh Yadav has deliberately moved away from the traditional district-level lobbying system and is relying more heavily on independent surveys and organisational feedback before taking final decisions on candidates.
Among the names that have emerged during the first phase of the exercise are Atul Pradhan from Sardhana, Pankaj Malik from Charthawal, Rajkumar Bhati from Dadri, Nahid Hasan from Kairana, Rakesh Sharma from Muzaffarnagar and Pramod Tyagi from Budhana, sources said. However, party leaders clarified that the selection process is still underway and no final list has been approved.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, SP national spokesperson I.P. Singh said the party is determined to avoid the factionalism and weak booth-level coordination that affected its performance in previous elections.
“The party will finalise candidates by giving priority to sitting MLAs and those who lost the previous election by narrow margins. Potential candidates have already been asked to remain active in public life and begin working in their respective constituencies,” Singh said. Senior political analyst Santosh Bhartiya told The Sunday Guardian that Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA strategy continues to guide his political approach. However, Bhartiya noted that Yadav is no longer limiting his outreach to the PDA social coalition.
“My point is that Akhilesh Yadav is now extending support to almost every social group. He is reaching out to Savarnas, including Brahmins, as well as non-Yadav OBC communities.
