The political chessboard for the 2027 assembly elections has started in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav has played a new trick of populist announcements to counter the welfare schemes and Hindutva narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
After women, youth and farmers, now Akhilesh Yadav has announced a big masterstroke by keeping health care, especially the poor and sick section at the center. Akhilesh Yadav promised card-free and free treatment and said that if the SP government is formed, no card will be asked from the patients in the government hospitals of Uttar Pradesh and their treatment will be completely free.
He has announced to provide free medical services directly to every poor by eliminating the administrative hassles of eligibility schemes of the Central or State Government and the compulsion to show the card. Under this, along with common diseases, it has also been promised to provide free treatment for very expensive and serious diseases like cancer. This scheme will be made the main point of SP's 2027 election manifesto.
Akhilesh Yadav's main promises for 2027
To challenge the BJP's governance model, Akhilesh Yadav is opening a box of schemes for every section one by one. Akhilesh has promised Mahila Samman Rashi and hinted at bringing his own special scheme by questioning the claims of safe and free travel for women in government buses. Apart from this, there has been talk of immediate payment of crop dues of farmers, providing free electricity and transparent compensation for land acquisition.
Assurance has been given for development of sports infrastructure for the youth. Also, on the claim of 41% vacancies in government posts, especially in the health department, it has been said to start the recruitment process immediately. Along with this, a promise has also been made to control the prices of everyday essential commodities and fuel by working on the 'price cap' principle of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia.
Changing formula of PDA
The most talked about political weapon of Akhilesh Yadav has been PDA. While in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections it meant 'backwards, Dalits and minorities', ahead of the 2027 contest they are expanding this formula to include upper castes and other disenfranchised sections as well.
Under this strategy, it was linked to 'Peedit Pandit' to satisfy the resentment of the victimized Pandits. After this, Akhilesh defined the new meaning of PDA as 'Play, Develop, Achieve' i.e. 'Play, grow, achieve'. Earlier, he had also introduced PDA by associating it with 'Patience, Discipline, Action'.
Will the contest in UP 2027 be more interesting?
This aggressive stance of Akhilesh Yadav is turning the 2027 elections directly into a war of 'plan versus plan'. In direct response to BJP's 'Ayushman Bharat' and 'Double Engine' welfare schemes, Akhilesh is directly announcing 'card-free free treatment' and comprehensive financial help.
While the Yogi government is taking forward good governance, law and order and development projects, the SP is trying to change the ground narrative by highlighting the shortcomings of the health infrastructure—such as shortage of doctors and health services dependent on ventilators. With the flexible formula of PDA, Akhilesh does not want to limit himself to only his cadre votes but also wants to attract the middle class and urban poor into his fold. Certainly, this 'Countable Agenda' of Akhilesh Yadav in the form of countering the welfare policies of BJP is going to make the fight of 2027 very tough and interesting in the politics of Uttar Pradesh.