Archive · 21 Sep 2026
UP 2027 Polls: BJP Allies Seek More Assembly Seats
Two political parties in Uttar Pradesh are asking the Bharatiya Janata Party for more seats in the 2027 state election.
The parties are the Nishad Party and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.
They say they can help the alliance win seats where the BJP has struggled before.
Sanjay Nishad also wants Scheduled Caste status for the Nishad community.
He said his party will stay with the BJP instead of joining opposition parties.
O.P. Rajbhar said his party wants 25 seats, compared with 16 in the 2022 election.
A BJP leader said the Nishad Party already has significant representation and has won several seats.
The parties are negotiating how much influence each should have in the alliance.
The Nishad Party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party want larger seat shares from the BJP for Uttar Pradesh’s 2027 Assembly elections.
Sanjay Nishad said his party seeks seats where the BJP previously performed poorly and renewed its demand for Scheduled Caste status for Nishads.
Nishad said he would remain allied with the BJP and would not join the Samajwadi Party or Congress.
O.P. Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party is seeking 25 seats, up from the 16 it contested in 2022.
A BJP leader disputed the Nishad Party’s demands, citing its 2022 results and its representation in the state government and legislature.
- Who
- The Nishad Party, led by Sanjay Nishad, and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, led by O.P. Rajbhar, are seeking more seats from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
- What
- The two BJP allies are demanding larger seat shares for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
- When
- The demands concern the 2027 Assembly elections; Sanjay Nishad announced his campaign at a Sunday meeting.
- Where
- Uttar Pradesh, including a Nishad community meeting in Allahabad.
- Why
- The allies say their communities can help win seats and want greater political representation; Nishad also seeks Scheduled Caste status for his community.
BJP Allies
BJP Criticism
Seat allocation
BJP Allies
The Nishad Party wants seats where the BJP previously performed poorly, while the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party says it should receive 25 seats because of Rajbhar community support across 35 constituencies.
BJP Criticism
A BJP leader questioned the Nishad Party’s demand, pointing to its 2022 victories and existing representation through the alliance.
Community representation
BJP Allies
Sanjay Nishad is holding meetings to press for Scheduled Caste status for Nishads and what he calls respectable representation in the Assembly.
BJP Criticism
The BJP leader alleged that Sanjay Nishad is raising the reservation issue to rally his community rather than acting sincerely on its behalf.
- Election
- Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, 2027
- Nishad Party demand
- More seats, particularly constituencies where the BJP previously performed poorly
- Nishad representation
- The party contested eight seats on its symbol in 2022 and won six; five additional candidates on the BJP symbol also won, according to a BJP leader
- Community demand
- Scheduled Caste status for the Nishad community
- Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party demand
- Twenty-five seats, compared with 16 contested in 2022
- Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party 2022 result
- The party won six of the 16 seats it contested
- Political position
- Sanjay Nishad said he would remain with the BJP rather than join the Samajwadi Party or Congress