• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Lok Sabha Polls: Amid the significant rise in the number of seats of the INDIA bloc faction in the Lok Sabha polls across the country, the state that has taken by surprise and has participated in the growth of the opposition leaders is Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh, which has contributed significantly to the number of seats for the NDA in the last election, is seemingly slipping away. Both groups are neck-and-neck in the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state. 

At the time of writing this report, INDIA bloc was leading on 44 seats, followed by the BJP leading on 35 seats. The INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh consists of the Samajwadi Party (SP), which has secured 36 seats, and Congress, which leads with seven seats. In Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav's SP has been a boon for the INDIA bloc, as the party has made a significant dent in the electoral space of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in comparison to the last polls. 

But what are the reasons that led to the growth of the seats of INDIA faction in Uttar Pradesh?

Combined Opposition Effort

The first reason that has led to the growth of INDIA bloc is the social engineering of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and also his effort to bring the opposition faction contesting in Uttar Pradesh together. The alliance took time to form in the state, and initially there were only a few joint rallies of the INDIA bloc. However, in May, at least six rallies of the INDIA bloc were planned, with Yadav and Gandhi holding a joint rally at Kannauj on May 10, from where the former is contesting. 

ALSO READ: Ayodhya, Basti, Gonda, Mathura Election Result 2024 LIVE: BJP Trails Behind SP In Faizabad

The second factor that has indirectly helped INDIA bloc grow, and importantly, Akhilesh, is the decline of the BSP, which has resulted in Akhilesh Yadav's SP becoming the main opposition in Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress alliance with the BSP and SP did not yield much result; however, it has certainly led to growth. 

Remedying Muslim Yadav Image Of Samajwadi Party

An important factor that has helped Akhilesh's tally grow in Uttar Pradesh is remedying the Muslim-Yadav image of his party and the creation of an anti-BJP front with the opposition leaders. Akhilesh Yadav, positioning himself as a leader of the pichde, shifted the election discourse into a battle between Hinduism and social justice. He also made Babasahib Vahini to attract the votes of the Dalits. 

Ticket Distribution Strategy

Akhilesh has distributed more tickets to diverse backward-caste groups in comparison to earlier. Incidentally, all five of them are from the family of Mulayam Yadav.  It can also be considered a very important factor that has significantly impacted the Lok Sabha result and has yielded in favour of the Samajwadi Party. It fielded only five candidates from the Yadav community in its 62 seats. Incidentally, all five of them are from the family of Mulayam Yadav. A large number of the total 62 tickets with the party were allotted to influential non-Yadav backward communities.

ALSO READ: UP: Officials Carry 10-Foot-Long Crocodile On Shoulders To Release It Back Into Canal In Bulandshahr | Watch

Akhilesh's PDA Factor

According to Indian Express, in the run-up to the polls, Akhilesh had said that most of the backward people, Dalits, and minorities would unitedly back the SP’s PDA plank, due to which the BJP’s “equations and previous formulas” would fail this time. In a post on X, the SP chief said, “Survey of those who believe in PDA: Overall 90% say– 49% backward people have faith in PDA, 16% Dalits have faith in PDA, 21% minorities (Muslims+Sikhs+Buddhists+Christians+Jains and others+tribals) believe in PDA, 4% backwards of the upper castes have confidence in PDA. (All the above include ‘aadhi abadi’ i.e. women). Most of these 90% will vote unitedly for PDA this time.”

Traditionally, the core vote bank of the SP has been Yadavs and Mulsims in UP. The PDA reflects the aim of Akhilesh Yadav to expand the traditional vote bank to encompass Dalits, OBCs other than Yadavs, and minorities other than Muslims. Besides his repeated demand for a caste census, he maintained that a caste survey in the state would ensure communities an equitable share in reservation and government schemes for their development and welfare based on their proportion in the population. It has also kept on lashing out at the BJP for allegedly making attempts to undermine the reservation regime ensured by the Indian Constitution.