After an overwhelming performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is now gearing up for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections with a new strategy. The party plans to release multiple localised manifestos alongside a state-centric manifesto to address the diverse priorities of people across different regions of the state.According to party leaders, SP functionaries have been directed to prepare detailed lists of social, economic, and developmental issues specific to their regions. District presidents in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been instructed to engage with local communities, identify their priorities, and send their reports to the party headquarters in Lucknow.The Samajwadi Party, the principal opposition in the state, had won 111 out of 403 seats in the 2022 Assembly elections. Though out of power since 2017, the party’s performance in the 2024 general elections has given it fresh momentum. Under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, the SP secured 37 Lok Sabha seats, becoming the third-largest party in the Indian Parliament.Political observers believe the SP has successfully mobilised non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits along with its traditional Yadav-Muslim vote base under the inclusive slogan Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA). The leadership now aims to expand its appeal further by focusing on regional development and governance issues rather than relying solely on identity-based politics.‘The idea is to take politics closer to the people’Party insiders suggest that Akhilesh Yadav wants to counter the BJP’s macro-nationalism and communal narrative with a focus on hyper-local issues relevant to each district and region. The plan is to make local concerns – ranging from agriculture to employment and infrastructure – central to the state’s political discourse.“The idea is to take politics closer to the people,” said a senior SP leader Manoj Kumar Kaka. “Each region of Uttar Pradesh has its own challenges, and our manifestos will reflect that reality.”Alok Ranjan, former Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, who is currently advising the SP on policy matters, confirmed that the party intends to release 18–20 regional manifestos in addition to a state-level manifesto.“The SP is working on around 18 to 20 regional manifestos along with one state-centric document,” Ranjan told The Wire. “Over the next six to eight months, party leaders will reach out to people from various walks of life to understand their local aspirations.”Ranjan added that the party would use both direct public engagement and digital platforms to gather suggestions from citizens.“We are also seeking suggestions from the masses by using different means of communication for our manifestos,” he said. “Inputs from party leaders and people will be incorporated before giving final shape to the documents.”He explained that this exercise is part of the SP’s micro-electoral management strategy, which has already begun in regions such as Mathura-Vrindavan, Agra, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Noida and Bundelkhand.The concept of creating multiple manifestos emerged during a strategy meeting held at the SP headquarters in Lucknow earlier this month. The meeting was attained by top brass of the SP, focused on tailoring local agendas to meet specific regional needs.Senior party leader Kaka elaborated on how the approach would differ across regions.“The Bundelkhand region needs programmes for drought relief, irrigation, and rural employment. On the other hand, Purvanchal has entirely different issues—like healthcare, sugarcane dues, and youth migration – that must be addressed,” said Kaka.He added that in the Mathura – Vrindavan region, the manifesto is expected to highlight concerns related to heritage tourism, water scarcity, and infrastructure for small traders. Similarly, Agra and Kanpur – known for their leather industries – will see a focus on the challenges facing small manufacturers and tannery workers.“The problems of the leather industry in Agra and Kanpur, the issues of weavers in Banaras, and the plight of carpet workers in Bhadohi are also likely to be raised in our regional manifestos,” Kaka said.He further informed that local party units have been asked to enumerate schools, hospitals, and public facilities in their respective districts to identify gaps in basic infrastructure.“In my own district, Chandauli, scarcity of water for agriculture and law and order issues are the main concerns,” he said.Political analysts say that the SP’s regional manifesto plan resembles an initiative once tried by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu under M.K. Stalin.Siddharth Kalhans, a Lucknow-based political analyst, explained that the DMK had once undertaken a similar exercise of identifying district-wise priorities across the state.“The DMK carried out extensive fieldwork across Tamil Nadu before curating its manifesto. However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin’s party did not release separate manifestos for different districts or regions,” said Kalhans.Kalhans described the SP’s move as “a well-orchestrated poll management strategy” aimed at countering the BJP’s strong organisational and narrative machinery.“The BJP is known for its expertise in poll management, but this time Akhilesh Yadav seems to be walking several steps ahead,” he said.Projecting SP as a development-oriented alternative to the BJPKalhans also pointed out that while Priyanka Gandhi of the Congress had also tried to crowdsource inputs for her party’s manifesto in Uttar Pradesh, the effort had little impact.“Priyanka Gandhi sought suggestions from the people while drafting the Congress manifesto, but she failed to make an impact as her party’s organisational structure in UP is very weak,” Kalhans observed.According to Kalhans, the Samajwadi Party’s strong district-level network gives it a strategic edge in executing this multi-manifesto plan.“Unlike the Congress, the SP has elected representatives and active party units in almost all districts. This gives it the necessary infrastructure to achieve the desired results,” he added.SP leaders believe that the new approach will not only strengthen the party’s regional connect but also create a people-driven political document that reflects the aspirations of UP’s diverse population of nearly 20 crore.As preparations for the 2027 elections intensify, the SP leadership hopes that this bottom-up exercise will help project Akhilesh Yadav’s party as a development-oriented alternative to the BJP in India’s most politically significant state.“The goal,” said an SP strategist, “is to ensure that the electorate feels that the manifesto speaks directly to their needs and demands.”