What Akhilesh Yadav’s new base of operations in Azamgarh reveals about SP plans

Beyond the symbolism, the new building will also smoothen operations for the SP in Azamgarh, where earlier the party operated out of a single room and did not have adequate space to host senior leaders. The importance of Azamgarh goes beyond just the district. It is part of eastern UP (Purvanchal), where the BJP took a hit in the 2022 Assembly elections and the SP made a gain of 39 seats, jumping from 16 in 2017 to 55, and the BJP’s tally reduced from 114 in 2017 to 86. These are the gains Akhilesh wants to hold on to as he prepares for the 2027 battle.

“This development shows that Akhilesh is going to make Azamgarh a centre of party activities in eastern UP,” said an SP leader. “He will frequently visit here, travel to adjoining areas, and hold meetings personally.”

SP district president Hawaldar Yadav said Azamgarh had “only a few hotels, but they lack the adequate arrangements and facilities”.

“Due to these issues, Akhilesh ji used to avoid night stay in Azamgarh. Last time he had an overnight stay here in 2019 after he was elected MP from here,” said the SP leader.

And for the party, the goal remains clear: make Akhilesh the Chief Minister in 2027. For that to happen, Azamgarh and the larger Purvanchal region have to deliver for the party.

During the inauguration, Akhilesh also signalled broader aspirations, with Azamgarh at the centre. “Patna and Lucknow are almost the same distance from Azamgarh,” he said, hinting that the party wants to play an active role in helping the RJD in the Bihar Assembly elections later this year.

SP gets going

The all-important test for the party will be the Assembly elections two years down the line, and it has gradually started making moves to get into shape for the battle with the BJP.

In July, it launched a year-long drive to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims and consolidate its core Muslim-Yadav base. The party plans to hold meetings with Pasmandas in all 403 Assembly constituencies, followed by district-level conventions, and finally, a state-level public meeting will be organised when the Assembly elections approach.

The party has also devised a strategy to focus on 108 Assembly seats that it has lost in the last three Assembly elections. It has appointed observers for each of these constituencies, and they have been asked to submit their reports to Akhilesh within a set timeframe. Sources said the observers had already made at least a couple of visits to each of these seats in the past fortnight and held meetings with the district office-bearers and prominent leaders there.

The SP is also calibrating its policies and strategies for various social groups. Akhilesh has promised that if voted to power his administration will install a statue of Raja Suheldev on the Gomti riverfront in Lucknow. This is a signal to the Rajbhar community, which is estimated to make up 18% of the electorate in eastern UP. The party has also promised to build a memorial dedicated to former Congress MP Shivdayal Chaurasia, who was a staunch social justice advocate and worked for the uplift of Dalits and OBCs.

The SP is also fine-tuning its strategy to reach out to women, the driving force behind the victors in recent state elections, promising direct money transfers into their bank accounts, along with free mobile phones, laptops, and skill development programmes.