By Manjunath K. Shresthi
September 25, 2026
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Elections are a serious affair as they herald change and set the course for the next five years. In early next year a total of five states go to the assembly polls, and more to follow in the later half of the same year. The stakes are high irrespective of the states size. But the large state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) with 403 MLAs will be keenly watched by all.
The BJP has been in power under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath since 2017. Will it complete a hat-trick in 2027? The Samajwadi Party (SP) ruled the large state from 2012-17, with Akhilesh Yadav as the Chief Minister (CM). But it has been out of power since the last one decade. Will it set a new course for itself and come back to power in 2027?
Politics in Uttar Pradesh is bipolar and it evolves around the BJP & SP. The role of the Congress party can’t be brushed aside. In the last general elections in 2024, the SP and Congress formed a formidable alliance. They reduced the BJP’s final numbers, and hence the BJP is now leading a coalition of many parties. The BSP under Mayawati too has a dedicated vote bank. Will the party alone contest all the seats? And will some of the regional parties with considerable influence in different parts of the state follow the prevailing wind?
But is it now all smooth sailing in the SP & Congress alliance? The last few days saw over enthusiastic elected representatives who went in a overdrive supporting the claims of their respective parties. In the 403 members assembly, how will the alliance divide the seats amongst themselves? Do they have clarity on the number of seats their parties will contest? And in how many seats will the Congress party contest, and can the duo repeat the 2024 performance?
The saffron party too will leave no stone unturned to be back in power. But will the voters bless them again? What strategy will the Samajwadi Party (SP) follow to catch up with the imagination of the voters and win the polls? If the SP falters then the party might face an existential crisis in the near future. If the BJP doesn’t form the government, it will seriously affect their comeback plans in the 2029 general elections. So there is far too much at stake for all the political parties in the electoral fray. The upcoming assembly elections are crucial to all the political parties. And along with the other voters, the ‘Gen Z’ too will play a crucial role in the upcoming elections. And to whom will they cast their vote ?
