New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party (SP) is treading very cautiously as it prepares for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is now aiming to secure victories across all seats in the Moradabad division, a region where the Muslim vote has historically played a pivotal role. To signal his firm support for the Muslim community, Akhilesh Yadav visited senior SP leader Azam Khan at the Rampur District Jail.
It is reported that the meeting, which lasted about an hour, included discussions regarding the allocation of tickets for Western Uttar Pradesh. Among the seats discussed, the Moradabad City constituency is considered particularly significant. Following the meeting, there is speculation that the SP might field a Hindu candidate here,e a move that would mark a shift in strategy after nearly two decades.
This comes as the SP has faced narrow defeats in the constituency over the last two elections. By fielding a Hindu candidate, the party hopes to shift the electoral dynamics in its favour. However, upon returning from the jail visit, Akhilesh Yadav stated that Azam Khan did not request any specific seat, but rather offered a few suggestions.
SP’s ‘Hindu Card’ proved successful in 2007
The Moradabad City seat has seen many ups and downs for the Samajwadi Party. In 2007, the SP fielded Sandeep Agarwal, who secured a decisive victory, defeating the BJP’s Vikas Jain by a margin of 29,179 votes. Prior to this, in 1996, the SP had fielded Musarrat Hussain, but it was Sandeep Agarwal contesting on a BJP ticket who emerged victorious. In 2002, the SP gave a ticket to Humayun Qadeer.
He received 24,928 votes and finished in third place. In that election, the BJP’s Sandeep Agarwal won with 42,888 votes, while the Congress candidate, Mohammad Siddique, came in second with 27,907 votes. Sandeep Agarwal’s victory on an SP (Samajwadi Party) ticket in 2007 altered the political dynamics of the constituency.
SP has faced defeat twice in a row.
Following the delimitation process in 2008, the Moradabad City constituency took on its current form. In 2012, the SP fielded Yusuf Ansari, who defeated the BJP’s Ritesh Kumar Gupta by a margin of over 20,000 votes. In 2017, however, the SP’s Yusuf Ansari was defeated by Ritesh Kumar Gupta. In 2022, Yusuf Ansari once again lost to the BJP’s Ritesh Gupta. Overall, fielding a Muslim candidate has not proven advantageous for the SP.
This time, the SP is considering a new strategy for selecting its candidate; the party might place its bet on a Hindu face. All eyes are now on who this Hindu candidate from the SP might be.
Which leaders are seeking a ticket?
There is a significant number of Hindu aspirants within the SP. Former MLA Rajiv Channa, District President Jaiveer Singh Yadav, Manmohan Saini, Lakhan Singh Saini, CA Ajay Saini, Akshay Bhatnagar, Rahul Thakur, BK Saini, Athar Ansari, Sartaj Alam Ansari, Imran, Jaipal Saini, Harpal Saini, Rajiv Singhal, Naresh Sharma, Lokesh Tilakdhari, and Shoaib Pasha are all vying for an SP ticket. Only time will tell whom the party leadership ultimately chooses as its candidate.
