Jubilee Post News & Views
Dr. Utkarsh Sinha
Akhilesh Yadav, as the national president of the Samajwadi Party, has been employing a multi-pronged approach to bolster the party’s influence, particularly in Uttar Pradesh (UP), while also eyeing a broader national presence. His strategies focus on social coalitions, strategic alliances, organizational restructuring, digital outreach, and leveraging past achievements.
Akhilesh is strategically pushing back the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) through a combination of social coalitions, political alliances, grassroots organization, and aggressive issue-based opposition. His approach has yielded results, as seen in the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) 37-seat win and the INDIA alliance’s 43 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, significantly denting BJP’s dominance (down to 33 seats from 62 in 2019). Below is a detailed analysis of how Akhilesh is countering the BJP in UP:
PDA Formula: Uniting Backward Classes, Dalits, and Minorities
Akhilesh’s “PDA” (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) strategy aims to consolidate Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalits, and Muslims into a cohesive vote bank. This approach proved effective in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where SP won 37 seats in UP, its best-ever performance.
Akhilesh has championed caste-based census, framing it as a tool for social justice. On May 1, 2025, he called it a “90% PDA unity victory,”
crediting SP’s pressure on the BJP-led central government. This resonates strongly with OBCs and Dalits, expanding SP’s appeal. In western UP, Akhilesh targets Jats, Gujjars, and Muslims through alliances like the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) which was Brocken before general elections.
In eastern UP, he focuses on Yadavs, Kurmis, and Dalits, tailoring his messaging to local caste equations.
While PDA has broadened SP’s base, it risks alienating upper-caste voters, and the BJP has countered by consolidating non-Yadav OBCs and some Dalit sub-groups. The long-term success of PDA depends on maintaining this delicate balance.
Strategic Alliances and Absorbing Leaders
Akhilesh strengthened the INDIA bloc with Congress and other opposition parties. In 2024, the SP-Congress alliance secured 43 seats in UP, significantly denting the BJP’s dominance.
He strengthened the INDIA alliance with Congress. In 2024, SP contested 63 seats and Congress 17, securing 43 seats together, outpacing BJP’s 33. This was a sharp decline for BJP from 2019’s 62 seats.
Recently, SP absorbed 29–39 RLD leaders, including prominent figures like Waseem Raza and Badruddin Khan, and 100 workers in Kushinagar. This bolsters SP’s grassroots presence ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections.
While absorbing leaders expands SP’s reach, it risks internal factionalism. Balancing new entrants with loyalists will be key to maintaining party cohesion.
Organizational Restructuring
In 2023, Akhilesh formed a 62-member national executive, including veterans like Shivpal Yadav, Azam Khan, and Swami Prasad Maurya, blending experience with fresh faces.
In 2024, he dissolved the Madhya Pradesh SP unit to appoint new leadership, signaling an intent to expand beyond UP.
Booth-Level PDA Cadre: SP is building a booth-level cadre with 10 backward-class members per booth, strengthening grassroots mobilization.
These moves enhance SP’s organizational muscle, but the party’s limited success outside UP (e.g., no seats in Madhya Pradesh’s 2023 assembly polls) highlights challenges in scaling nationally.
Digital and Social Media Presence
Akhilesh is seen as SP’s “youth icon,” leveraging his education and tech-savvy persona. His active presence on social media platforms makes him accessible to younger voters.
Direct Public Connect: Through digital platforms and initiatives like Janata Darbar, Akhilesh addresses public grievances, projecting a progressive, approachable image.
Highlighting Past Achievements
Akhilesh promotes his tenure as UP CM (2012–2017), citing projects like the Lucknow Metro, Purvanchal Expressway, 108 Ambulance Service, 1090 Women’s Helpline, and laptop distribution.
These resonate with youth, women, and rural voters. As a sports enthusiast, Akhilesh invested in UP’s sports infrastructure, which he highlights to appeal to younger demographics.
Aggressive Issue-Based Opposition
Akhilesh has capitalized on farmer distress (MSP, loan waivers) and youth unemployment. SP’s active role in the 2020–21 farmers’ protests swayed Jat and farmer voters in western UP toward SP. Akhilesh has targeted BJP on rising inflation and law-and-order failures, such as the 2024 Sambhal violence, which he called a “BJP conspiracy.” This resonated with Muslim voters, reinforcing SP’s minority support. By raising the narrative of “saving the Constitution and democracy,” Akhilesh has mobilized Dalits and minorities, countering BJP’s Hindutva agenda.
Capitalizing on BJP’s Weaknesses
Akhilesh exploited discontent among BJP’s upper-caste leaders (e.g., Rajputs) over ticket distribution. The 2024 Kushwaha-Rajput tensions hurt BJP in some seats.
Paper leaks, unemployment, and inflation have weakened BJP’s “development” image, which Akhilesh has effectively highlighted.
Akhilesh counters BJP’s Ram Temple and Article 370 narratives with social justice and economic issues, diluting Hindutva’s appeal among OBCs and Dalits.
Aggressive Opposition and Narrative Building
Akhilesh consistently attacks the BJP on issues like farmers’ distress, unemployment, and inflation. He labeled the 2024 Sambhal violence a “BJP conspiracy,” rallying minority support.
By aligning with civil society groups on issues like saving the Constitution and democracy, Akhilesh enhances his national stature.
Challenges and Critical Perspective
Integrating new leaders while keeping loyalists satisfied is a challenge. Past defections (e.g., Swami Prasad Maurya) highlight this risk. PDA unites diverse groups, but alienating upper castes or non-Yadav OBCs could limit SP’s growth.
The BJP’s focus on Hindutva, nationalism, and welfare schemes counters SP’s PDA and caste-based appeals, especially among non-Yadav OBCs and some Dalit sub-groups.
Akhilesh Yadav is pushing back the BJP in UP through the PDA formula, INDIA alliance, grassroots mobilization, and issue-based aggression.
The 2024 Lok Sabha results (37 SP seats, 43 for INDIA) underscore his strategy’s success. By advocating caste census, targeting farmers and youth, and expanding regionally, Akhilesh has challenged BJP’s dominance. However, he must navigate challenges like upper-caste alienation, controversial remarks, and BJP’s Hindutva counter-narrative. His ability to sustain PDA’s momentum and broaden SP’s appeal will determine success in the 2027 UP Assembly elections
