Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's reference to the Mahabharata reflects the readiness needed for the 2027 challenge, which will be crucial for the future of regional parties and SP, which was formed 25 years ago.
The BJP seeks to retain power in Uttar Pradesh and maintain its winning streak after the electoral setback in the 2024 national polls.
The SP registered its best performance, bagging 37 of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, and the Congress increased its count to six seats from one in 2024.
The BJP's seats in the state fell from 62 in 2019 to 33, as the party's overall tally dropped below the majority mark in Parliament.
Akhilesh Yadav has exhorted SP workers to increase five votes at every booth to win the 2027 election.
The calculation is based on poll results data. Despite electoral setbacks since 2014, SP has increased its vote share since 2017.
The SP expanded its vote bank of Muslims and Yadavs by adding Kurmi, Pal, and Dalits to build PDA (acronym for Pichra or backward, Dalit, and Alpasanghyak or minority).
The stage is set for a fierce direct fight between the BJP and SP.
