Samajwadi Party Revamps Strategy to Regain Power in Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh politics, survival and political future are considered most important for the Samajwadi Party and party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The party is out of power after losing two consecutive assembly elections in 2017 and 2022. The better performance in the Lok Sabha elections has given the SP a new hope to return to power in 2027, due to which Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, the uncle-nephew duo, have started to rework the social and strategic equations of the SP. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is currently trying to increase his penetration among non-OBC Yadavs and upper castes through his winning formula'PDA'( Backward, Dalit, Minority) as well as'Soft Hindutva '. Uncle Shivpal Yadav is on the front to retain the Muslim community, which is considered to be the core vote bank of the SP. Shivpal Yadav visited the Muslim-dominated areas of Sambhal and Rampur in western Uttar Pradesh in the last two days. This tour is being seen as an important strategy to keep the party's Muslim base strong and in some way or the other far-flung areas of Assam.