By Admin 
Before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav has made a major change in his political strategy. They are now moving away from traditional caste equations (Yadav-Muslim) and adopting PDA (Backward, Dalit and Minority) formula as well as soft Hindutva. Experts are calling this a ‘neo-socialist’ strategy, that is, while saving the PDA base, adding a new color of soft Hindutva to it. But will this strategy be successful or not?
Aadhar 2024: PDA formula that changed the picture
The PDA formula is the same strategy which brought great success to SP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In 2019, BJP had won 64 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. In 2024, this figure came down to 33, while SP won 37 seats. SP-Congress alliance won a total of 43 seats (37 SP and 6 Congress).
SP had won only 5 seats in 2019, which means in 2024, SP’s figure will increase from 5 to 37. This success is believed to be the contribution of PDA formula. On the basis of this, SP also won a big seat like Ayodhya. After this success, Akhilesh Yadav has also made PDA the center of his strategy for the 2027 assembly elections.
Extension of PDA: Scheme for 100 Dalit-Tribal candidates
SP has made a big plan to garner Dalit votes. In July 2026, SP planned to field Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates on 14 general seats for the 2027 elections. With this, including the reserved seats (84 SC and 2 ST), a total of 100 Dalit-Tribal candidates will be in the fray.
SP believes behind this step that Mayawati’s BSP is gradually fading from the electoral politics of Uttar Pradesh. SP can attract Dalit votes towards itself. SP had also fielded Dalit candidates on general seats like Meerut and Faizabad (Ayodhya) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Avadhesh Prasad won the Ayodhya seat, while Sunita Verma lost in Meerut by just 10,585 votes.
Soft Hindutva: New political style
Political expert Amitabh Tiwari says, ‘Akhilesh Yadav understands very well that it is difficult to return to power only on the basis of PDA. About 80% of the population of Uttar Pradesh is Hindu and majority cannot be achieved only on the basis of minorities or specific castes. A major reason for SP’s defeat in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections was that the party suffered loss due to its Muslim appeasement image.
Amitabh Tiwari further said, ‘This time Akhilesh has made a systematic strategy to break that image, which can be called ‘Soft Hindutva’. This is not aggressive Hindutva, but an attempt to expand his party’s reach by showing respect for Hindu symbols, traditions and faith. It is an attempt to present an alternative, inclusive Hindu politics to the hard-line Hindutva of the BJP.
Akhilesh Yadav no longer wants to be seen only as the leader of Muslims and Yadavs. He wants to appear equally rooted in Sanatana Dharma traditions:
- Support of Hanuman Chalisa: He recited couplets of Hanuman Chalisa during Bade Mangal (festival of Hanuman ji celebrated on Tuesday in the month of Jyeshtha).
- Faith in Astrology: Akhilesh publicly said that he takes advice from astrologers and moves forward ‘only when the Pandit says’. He jokingly called himself a ‘new socialist’.
- Balance of laptop and faith: He is combining the politics of development, AI and laptops with religion, ritual and astrology.
Kedareshwar Mahadev Temple: Project worth more than Rs 50 crore
Akhilesh has constructed Shri Kedareshwar Mahadev Temple in his native city Etawah. According to media reports, it is said that more than Rs 50 crore will be spent on this.
- Statue of child form Ram in the temple: A child idol of Lord Ram has been installed in the temple premises.
- Shivshakti axis line: Akhilesh said that this temple is situated on the ‘Shivshakti axis line’, which makes it spiritually important.
- Inauguration: It is expected to be inaugurated in Sawan Shivratri (August 2026).
In April 2026, Akhilesh reached the temple and offered prayers and learned about the progress of the construction work. On the occasion of Ram Navami in March 2026, he informed about the installation of the idol of child-like Lord Ram in the temple.
Meeting Shankaracharya: Step towards Sanatan Dharma
On July 9, 2026, Akhilesh Yadav met Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotirmath in Lucknow. This was their second meeting in four months. After this, Akhilesh shared the pictures on social media and wrote, ‘It was a privilege to get the darshan and blessings of respected Shankaracharya ji. A meaningful discussion was held to overcome the crisis facing Sanatan Dharma and to free the religion from the clutches of unrighteous people.
In 2015, when there was SP government and Akhilesh was the Chief Minister, the police had lathi charged the saints including Shankaracharya. Now Akhilesh is trying to change his image by meeting the same Shankaracharya. Earlier, Akhilesh’s wife and MP Dimple Yadav had met Shankaracharya during his Padyatra in Mainpuri. Under this strategy, hoardings of ‘Sanatan Hi Samajwadi Hai’ were also put up outside the SP headquarters.
Ram temple donation controversy: weapon to corner BJP
Akhilesh is continuously raising the issue of theft of offerings in Ayodhya Ram temple. He said, ‘This incident has worried Sanatanis all over the world. The one who was given the responsibility has committed a big sin by distorting the established dignity of Lord Ram.
Akhilesh also raised questions on the formation of SIT on the Ram temple donation controversy. They argue that this is an insult to Sanatan Dharma.
What answer did BJP give?
BJP termed this strategy of Akhilesh as ‘election drama’. Yogi Adityanath taunted that now it seems Akhilesh is also going to wear saffron. However, BJP had to do damage control on the issue of ‘misbehavior’ with Shankaracharya. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak tried to calm the resentment among Brahmins by worshiping Shankaracharya’s disciples.
Then what are the challenges before Akhilesh Yadav?
Political expert Rashid Kidwai says that Akhilesh is now walking on such a political line, in which both social justice and religious-cultural identity will have to be taken together. Akhilesh Yadav faces two big challenges:
- Alliance with Congress: The biggest challenge facing Akhilesh is the issue of seat-sharing with Congress.
- Balancing the caste equation: Of the 97 district presidents of SP, 70% are Yadavs or Muslims, which means that despite the slogan of PDA, the backward classes and Dalits have not got full support in the organization.
Will Akhilesh’s ‘Sanatan’ bet succeed?
Rashid Kidwai said, ‘This strategy has its own risks as well as opportunities. On one hand, this experiment of soft Hindutva may anger SP’s Muslim vote bank, which has always been the party’s most reliable base. This message can be sent to Muslims that the party is now turning a blind eye on their behalf and is compromising on its core ideology to woo Hindu voters.
Rashid Kidwai further said, ‘On the other hand, this strategy can bring those non-Yadav OBC and Dalit Hindu voters closer to SP, who till now were keeping distance from the party considering it to be only a Muslim-Yadav party. If Akhilesh manages to attract even 5-7% non-Yadav Hindu votes through soft Hindutva while maintaining PDA, then the equation of 2027 can change completely.