The Samajwadi Party is leaving no stone unturned in expanding its electoral base to take on the BJP in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Alongside efforts to woo upper-caste Brahmins, and after deploying its PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Adivasi) strategy, the party leadership is now focusing on building a Gujjar support base in the state.
The Gujjars constitute around 2 per cent of the state’s population but wield considerable influence in dozens of seats in western Uttar Pradesh, where their share rises to nearly 7 per cent. The renewed outreach is largely driven by the emergence of Gujjar leader and party national spokesperson Rajkumar Bhatti, who is increasingly being seen as the face of this mobilisation, while also enjoying the trust of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
In his recent interviews, Bhatti has spoken about how Akhilesh Yadav’s encouragement and support have helped boost his confidence in politics.
Bhatti tells THE WEEK that the party started in July and August, as its focus has been to integrate the Gujjar community with the Samajwadi Party. "In the last elections, Gujjars were mostly with the BJP. In around 100 assembly constituencies, we set up 150 chaupals (meetings). We reached out to Muslims and Jats as well, but most of the outreach happened among Gujjars. As a result, many now seem to be aligned with the SP. This was visible in recent gatherings, where Gujjars turned up in large numbers. The effort has been successful, and we expect them to support the SP in the upcoming assembly elections."
"According to our own survey, there are 142 assembly constituencies with a Gujjar presence. Over all, around 100 have more than 10,000 Gujjar votes, about 40 have more than 25,000, and around 15 constituencies have over one lakh Gujjar voters. There are also seats where Muslim Gujjars are present, such as Amethi, Rae Bareli, Barabanki, Lucknow, and Faizabad."
A section of political observers believes that this outreach is aimed at challenging the BJP’s traditional support base, particularly when combined with Jat voters led by Jayant Chaudhary, who is currently allied with the BJP.
Jats in Uttar Pradesh are also a politically significant community, primarily concentrated in the western region, making up around 2 per cent of the state’s total population. However, their influence is considerably higher in western Uttar Pradesh, where they account for nearly 8 per cent.
What makes Bhatti a strong bet for the party, according to political observers, is that he has not only taken on his opponents effectively on television with compelling arguments but has also showcased a measured and stable approach while addressing political adversaries. “Bhatti ji has emerged as a very interesting leader in the past few years. His speeches have gone viral, his argumentative clarity has earned him compliments, and more importantly, he has gained the trust of party chief Akhilesh Yadav,” said an observer.
This churn is being seen as part of the party’s ceaseless politicking to position itself as a formidable force ahead of the elections. There is also a growing sentiment among senior leaders that party workers often struggle to sustain themselves through three consecutive terms in opposition. As a result, this election is increasingly being viewed as a battle of survival for the party, which is determined to dislodge the two-term BJP government.
