The three-tier elections are considered a barometer of people’s mood and political preference
In a surprise move, the Samajwadi Party is likely to refrain from contesting the Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls due early next year. The three-tier elections, considered a barometer of people’s mood and political preference, involve a massive exercise to elect gram pradhans (village heads), block pramukh, and chairman zila panchayat, among several other intermediary posts across UP.
All parties are gearing up to contest the elections, but according to highly placed sources within the SP, it is likely to stay away from the polls. The SP has almost decided not to contest the grassroots elections, as it feels the intensely local nature of the elections and fierce competition among its cadres for party tickets would harm the SP’s prospects in the bigger battle of the UP assembly elections due in 2027.
There are a total of 57,694 gram panchayats in the state. Each gram panchayat and higher body, like zila panchayat, has several intermediary posts up for election. The number of posts up for election would easily be more than a lakh.
“With several posts at all levels up for elections, almost every worker wants to contest the panchayat polls. There is more than one worker vying for each post, leading to much friction among cadres. The political situation is in favour of the SP, which is getting immense public support. We do not want to spoil the momentum in our favour with rivalry among our cadres for the panchayat posts. We will therefore not officially field candidates. However, cadres are free to contest but without our symbol,” said a senior party leader.
He said that the village-level poll deals with micro-local issues, and the party wants to focus on bigger issues before the state and the main battle of the 2027 assembly polls.
Panchayat elections in the past have often been violent, with different factions in a village fighting each other.
The three-tier panchayat bodies have also seen a lot of funds allocated to them as per government policies. These funds also become a reason for fierce competition among a section of the rural population. “It was due to such considerations that the SP has backed out of the polls. It will keep our cadres united. Public mood is against the Yogi Adityanath government in the state. We do not want to dissipate the public anger in the panchayat polls but channel it towards the 2027 assembly polls so that the BJP gets a massive drubbing,” said the senior leader quoted above.
He said that avoiding the panchayat polls would keep the cadres united and also let the people’s sentiments against the BJP government peak during the 2027 assembly polls.
