Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav. , Photo credit: ANI
To counter the centralized narrative of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) is preparing localized, region-specific manifestos for the upcoming assembly elections. Manifestos will focus on the development needs of a specific area rooted in local demand, opportunities, livelihood challenges and social dynamics.
While the party will release a state-level manifesto, it will also release localized manifestos focused on the region. Party strategists who have been entrusted with the responsibility say that each region of the state has different geographical, economic challenges and opportunities and addressing them will be the focus of SP’s localized manifestos.
The party began to explore the potential of different regions to outline policies, promises and a vision for improvement that are tailored to local needs and possibilities. It is proposed to have manifestos for regional clusters like Agra, Bundelkhand, Devi Patan division and Purvanchal (Eastern UP) districts.
“It is true that Akhileshji, the national president of the Samajwadi Party wants local manifestos to be prepared for 2027. The reason is that UP is a huge state and different regions have their own problems and issues as well as different potential for development. They need to be attended to fulfill the aspirations of the people living there,” said Alok Ranjan, a retired UP Administrative Officer 1978. The general secretary who works closely with the president of the SP on political issues.
Asked how many local manifestos the party will prepare, Mr. Ranjan said, “The number of such manifestos has not been finalised. However, the needs of each district would be reflected in the manifestos. It is proposed to have manifestos for regional groupings like Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Noida, Greater Noida, Bundelkhand, the least developed districts of Devi Patan division and the district.” Purvanchal etc.”
Party insiders believe that localized engagement has the potential to overcome the BJP’s narrative of macro-nationalism based on nationalism and mandir. It will help the SP retain its traditional voter base and present an agenda that is based on basic needs, local aspirations, livelihoods and social justice, they said.
“We are engaged in a detailed exercise; the party will release a state-level manifesto, but localized regional-focused manifestos will also be released. We are examining the specifics and potential of different regions to outline our policies, promises and vision for improvement that are tailored to local needs and potential. For example, an eastern UP district like Ballia has agriculture-related potential, while Gautam-Budha Nagar is more industrial. its geographical proximity to Delhi,” said Ram Pratap Singh, SP national spokesperson.
The regional disparity has been evident in the state on many occasions, even during the 2023 Global Investors Summit, when only five of the 75 districts in UP received more than 50% of the total investment proposals. Gautam Buddha Nagar adjacent to Delhi received 27.16% of the total investment proposals, while Ballia, near Bihar, received just 0.06%.
Published – 24 Oct 2025 21:18 IST
