Central to the SP’s renewed outreach is the promotion of women leaders from key non-Yadav OBC communities under its ‘PDA’ campaign.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections just months away, the battle for the state’s influential non-Yadav Other Backward Classes (OBC) vote bank has gathered momentum. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has rolled out a targeted strategy to make inroads into communities that have traditionally backed the BJP through its regional allies. Central to the SP’s renewed outreach is the promotion of women leaders from key non-Yadav OBC communities under its ‘PDA’ (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) campaign. The initiative reflects the party’s attempt to expand beyond its traditional Muslim-Yadav (MY) base while directly challenging the BJP’s caste-based alliance network.
Over the past decade, the BJP has consolidated support among non-Yadav OBCs through allies such as the Apna Dal (Sonelal), which enjoys influence among Kurmi-Patels; the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which commands support among Rajbhars; and the Nishad Party, which represents the Nishad, Mallah and Kevat communities. These alliances have played a decisive role in the BJP’s electoral success, particularly across eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Seeking to counter this social coalition, the SP has entrusted women leaders from these communities with key organisational responsibilities. The appointment of Seema Rajbhar as National President of the SP Mahila Sabha is being seen as a direct outreach to the Rajbhar community, which accounts for nearly 4-5 per cent of the state’s population. A former SBSP worker from Ballia, Seema Rajbhar has emerged as a vocal critic of SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar. Her elevation is expected to strengthen the SP’s presence in Rajbhar-dominated districts such as Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Chandauli and Gorakhpur.
Similarly, the appointment of Rukmani Nishad, sister of former MP Phoolan Devi, as the state president of the party’s women’s wing is viewed as an attempt to reach the Nishad-Mallah-Kevat community, which constitutes around 5-6 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s population. The community holds significant influence across the riverine belt, the Terai region and Purvanchal, impacting nearly 25-30 Assembly constituencies. The move is also seen as a direct challenge to the BJP ally Nishad Party, led by Sanjay Nishad.
Moreover, the Kurmi-Patel community, estimated to comprise 7-8 per cent of the state’s population, remains another crucial target for the SP. In an effort to regain its support, the SP backed Pallavi Patel, daughter of Apna Dal founder Sonelal Patel. Notably, in the 2022 Assembly elections, contesting on an SP ticket, she defeated then Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu in one of the election’s most symbolic victories.
Despite occasional differences with the party leadership, Pallavi continues to serve as an SP MLA, giving the party a foothold among Kurmi voters. Her role carries added significance as her sister, Union Minister Anupriya Patel, heads Apna Dal (Sonelal), a key NDA ally with 13 MLAs in Uttar Pradesh.
According to party insiders, these appointments serve multiple political objectives. Besides projecting greater representation for women from marginalised OBC communities, the strategy is aimed at strengthening caste-based grassroots mobilisation and reclaiming support from communities currently aligned with NDA partners such as the SBSP and the Nishad Party.
A political analyst told The Sunday Guardian that the SP’s strategy is largely focused on eastern Uttar Pradesh, where NDA allies continue to wield significant influence in districts including Mau, Ghazipur, Ballia, Jaunpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar and Maharajganj.
As the Assembly elections draw closer, the contest for the non-Yadav OBC vote bank is expected to become one of the defining electoral battles, with the SP seeking to expand its social base through caste representation and women-centric leadership while taking on the BJP-led NDA.
