Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party has begun reworking its 2007 social coalition as party chief Mayawati places Brahmin outreach at the centre of preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, starting with early organisational appointments that are widely seen as precursors to ticket distribution.
The party has named Ashish Pandey as incharge of Madhogarh in Jalaun district and Vinod Kumar Mishra as incharge of Mungra Badshahpur in Jaunpur district. In the BSP’s internal process, assembly incharges are usually the first step towards finalising candidates. These are the first names announced for 2027 and both are from the Brahmin community.
BSP state president Vishwanath Pal said the party would go to voters with the slogan Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay and that Brahmins were being accommodated across organisational tiers from booth committees to assembly-level structures. He added that the leadership intended to give the community “due respect” in candidate selection.
Political analyst Kamal Jayant said the move was aimed at rebuilding trust with Brahmins that the party lost after 2012. He said early signals were meant to revive the old social coalition before rivals consolidated their bases. Party sources said the BSP was considering Brahmin candidates in around 80 constituencies, with about 50 tickets likely to be finalised by June so nominees can begin groundwork early. Seats where the party lost narrowly in the last assembly polls are expected to see quicker announcements.
BSP leaders argue that Brahmin votes remain decisive in pockets of Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh and Braj. A senior leader said even small shifts in these regions can change outcomes and that early selection would help with booth-level mobilisation. Senior journalist Manoj Bhadra said the party was betting that dissatisfaction with the ruling party could create space for a comeback among Brahmin voters, but cautioned that symbolism alone would not be enough without proof of political traction.
The BSP has struggled since 2012 and currently has just one MLA in the state. Its recent Lok Sabha performances also weakened its standing among Muslim voters. The leadership is now seeking to revive the 2007 template under which Brahmin candidates were given significant representation and ministerial roles, a strategy that helped the party secure a majority government that year. Much of that support later shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, when the BSP was reduced to a single seat.
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Mayawati has claimed that sections of the Brahmin community feel neglected and insecure under the present government and that they received respect and power during the BSP’s tenure. At a party meeting on February 7, she alleged that political interference in festivals and worship had increased in recent years and pointed to recent disputes over bathing rituals in Prayagraj as signs of growing tension.
While the Samajwadi Party and the Indian National Congress are also reaching out to Brahmin voters, BSP leaders say their party has moved first in formally rolling out an early, seat-wise outreach plan.
On Mayawati’s directions, central coordinator Akash Anand is expected to begin a campaign tour by the end of April with roadshows and public meetings in constituencies where early announcements are made. After assembly elections in five states conclude, senior leaders including Ashok Siddharth, Jaiprakash and Ramji Gautam are likely to turn their focus to Uttar Pradesh. Before that, Akash Anand is scheduled to address a rally in Bharatpur on March 15 on the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram.
