Indian Political Alliance, referred to as I.N.D.I.A., Plans to Participate in 2027 Uttar Pradesh Elections: Akhilesh
In a recent development, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress party have taken to the streets in Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra, to protest against the ruling BJP-led government over allegations of vote theft during the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections and the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party chief, asserted that the PDA (backward classes, Dalits, and minorities) will "uproot the BJP" at the ballot box, while the Congress party accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Devendra Fadnavis, a political leader, of involvement in vote theft during the 2019 elections. However, neither party specified any concrete evidence to support their allegations.
The focus of the protest was also on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, with Akhilesh Yadav accusing the BJP of acting as a "land mafia" by tabling the bill, which, according to him, aims to seize Waqf lands. The Congress party joined in the criticism, but the search results do not mention any recent allegations or statements by the Samajwadi Party overtly targeting the BJP on this matter. Therefore, based on the current information, no direct allegation or stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill by the SP has been documented in mid-2025.
The Congress party did not state any plans for further action following the protest, but it is part of their ongoing criticism of the ECI and the BJP-led government in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the SP, in its ongoing preparation for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, is actively expanding its voter base beyond the traditional Muslim-Yadav group to include upper castes through a strategy described as soft Hindutva outreach aimed at bringing in Hindu voters disillusioned with the BJP.
The party has committed publicly to welfare promises like the Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana, which would give ₹3,000 per month to poor women if the SP forms the government. This indicates the SP’s focus on social welfare, especially for women in rural areas, continuing its legacy from its previous tenure. Akhilesh Yadav has also accused the BJP of mismanagement and corruption, including large-scale illegal mining and environmental destruction in the Chambal ravines near Etawah, and not delivering on its promises.
Akhilesh Yadav made these remarks at a press conference in Prayagraj, and he has pledged that the Opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc will continue until the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The SP's commitment to social welfare, its ongoing criticism of the BJP, and its strategies to expand its voter base will likely shape the political landscape in the upcoming elections.
- The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress party have not only focused their protests on the alleged vote theft during the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections and the BJP-led government, but also on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, with Akhilesh Yadav accusing the BJP of acting as a "land mafia."
- The Congress party has been part of ongoing criticism towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP-led government in Maharashtra, while the SP has been actively working on expanding its voter base, targeting upper castes through a strategy known as soft Hindutva outreach and committing to welfare promises such as the Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana.
