BY MOHAMMAD TARIQUE SALEEM
The political battle for Uttar Pradesh is beginning to acquire a sharper social dimension, with several leaders from the BJP and BSP crossing over to the Samajwadi Party under Akhilesh Yadav’s leadership. The entry of former Aonla BJP MP Dharmendra Kashyap, his daughter Kirti Kashyap and a group of political figures from different districts has given fresh momentum to the Samajwadi Party’s efforts to consolidate its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) coalition ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The leaders formally joined the party at a programme held at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Auditorium at the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow. Akhilesh Yadav welcomed them and handed over party membership, with numerous village heads, former village heads, Block Development Council members, district panchayat members and local influencers also joining the party.
Among the prominent entrants were former BSP Aonla Lok Sabha candidate Syed Abid Ali, BJP leader Dev Pratap Singh from Shravasti, former Colonelganj Assembly candidate Ranjeet Giri Goswami, former Bahraich BJP district vice-president Santosh Tiwari, Faheemuddin, chairman of Alapur in Badaun, and several other political and community representatives. The presence of leaders from different political backgrounds reflects the Samajwadi Party’s attempt to expand beyond its established support base and bring diverse social groups under a common political platform.
Dharmendra Kashyap, addressing the gathering, accused the BJP government of failing to deliver justice to backward communities and Dalits. He alleged that members of the Kashyap community had been murdered across the state without receiving justice and charged the government with discriminatory application of bulldozer action. Announcing his intention to strengthen the party among fishing communities, he said he would work extensively to expand the Samajwadi Party’s influence.
Akhilesh Yadav described the defections as a significant boost to the PDA movement. He pointed out that leaders who had previously contested elections against one another were now standing together under a common political banner. Their entry, he said, would strengthen the struggle for social justice in Bareilly, western Uttar Pradesh and the state as a whole. Yadav also predicted that the BJP would face defeat once the Assembly election schedule was announced, projecting confidence in his party’s electoral prospects. Senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav said political change in Uttar Pradesh in 2027 was inevitable.
He accused the government of injustice, corruption and misuse of public funds, promising an investigation into alleged irregularities if the Samajwadi Party returned to power. Aonla MP Neeraj Maurya also welcomed the new entrants, asserting that social justice could be established only through a change in government. For the Samajwadi Party, the challenge now is to translate these high-profile defections into a durable grassroots organisation. The arrivals offer political visibility and access to new constituencies, but their real electoral value will depend on sustained mobilisation. With 2027 approaching, Akhilesh Yadav is seeking to turn the PDA coalition into a broader political force capable of challenging the BJP across Uttar Pradesh.
