All major political parties in Uttar Pradesh have started focusing on the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as they lay their groundwork for the state Assembly elections slated for early 2027. The OBCs, which account for about half of UP's population, are spread out across all its regions – East UP, West UP, Central UP and Bundelkhand – and are considered a deciding factor in at least 300 of the state’s 403 constituencies. Here is a look at how the UP parties are making preparations for the 2027 polls. BJP The party, which is undertaking an organisational overhaul in all states ahead of picking its new national president, named the chiefs of 70 out of 98 district/city units in UP last month. According to the BJP, these names were announced after a two-month election process at the mandal-and village-level. While party sources claimed that the exercise was carried out to ensure that its target of 50% of office-bearers in the state units comprised faces from the OBCs, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and women, only six SC leaders and five women feature in the list of 70 names. A total of 26 district chiefs are from the OBCs, while 20 are Brahmins. A BJP leader said 26 district chiefs were retained and claimed that the representation of the OBCs and the SCs would rise when the remaining 28 district chiefs would be appointed. The BJP also relies on its allies – Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), Apna Dal (Sonelal), NISHAD Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) – to consolidate the OBC votes in the NDA’s favour. Samajwadi Party The state's principal Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) is a key constituent of the INDIA bloc. The SP had registered its best-ever performance in the last year's Lok Sabha polls, riding on its Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) plank. It has now rolled out a “PDA charcha” initiative across the state. According to SP spokesperson Ashok Yadav, party MLAs and MPs have been directed to participate in the “PDA charcha” events. “In these programmes, we will tell oppressed communities how a particular upper caste has been harassing the OBCs, Dalits and Muslims under the BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath,” he said. Keeping in mind the key role women played in the Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assembly polls last year, the Akhilesh Yadav-led party has also promised to roll out a “Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana” if voted to power, roping in a popular TV actress to spread awareness about the proposed scheme. Apart from financial aid, the scheme pledges mobile phones, laptops and setting up of “PDA pathshalas (schools)” to ensure skill development. Ashok Yadav said the SP has also launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based campaign to target the BJP government. “The SP's IT cell is working in this direction at the state- and district-level,” he said. Pointing to the induction of Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) founder-member Daddu Prasad, Ashok said a number of leaders from other parties would join the SP in the coming days. The SP is also making efforts to woo the Dalits – known to be the core voter base of the BSP – through a programme, called “Swabhimaan Samman Samaroh”, during April 8-14 while commemorating the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar. BSP The Mayawati-led party, which has seen a consistent decline in its electoral fortunes for over a decade, recently underwent a revamp, deciding to revive its “Bhaichara Committees” in all districts to strengthen its connect with the OBC groups. BSP sources said these panels, which were in place till 2017 but later became inactive, had earlier focused on reaching out to the SCs and upper castes besides the OBCs. “This time they will focus only on OBCs and hold ‘chaupals’ with members of the community in every village. Two coordinators, one from the SC group and another from the OBC community, have been appointed for each Bhaichara Committee at the district- and Assembly constituency-level,” a BSP leader said. Claiming that the “Bhaichara Committees” would ensure the BSP’s return to power in UP just like it did in 2007, the party’s state president Vishwanath Pal said, “This is our party’s strategy and our leader (Mayawati) takes decisions about it. We are the only party that works for the OBCs. Akhilesh talks about the PDA but his idea has failed as he did not field many candidates from those communities in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.” In a bid to reach out to the OBCs, the BSP also recently revamped its district-level organisation, elevating many OBC leaders to significant posts. Congress The Congress, which faced a “snub” from ally SP ahead of the Assembly bypolls in the state last year, appointed 131 district/city chiefs, of which 34 belong to OBC communities, including 11 Pasmanda (backward) Muslims – a group which the BJP has also been trying to woo. The Congress appointed 26 Brahmins and 19 Dalits as the district party chiefs, also naming 31 Muslims and one Scheduled Tribe (ST) leader to the post. In these appointments, the Congress claimed 65% of the representation was given to the OBCs, SCs and Muslims. “The influence of Rahul Gandhi’s idea of social justice is evident in this move,” a Congress leader said.
