Akhilesh Yadav’s Dhanraj Nathwani Pick Goes Beyond ‘Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak’ Politics

The Samajwadi Party’s decision to nominate corporate executive Dhanraj Nathwani for the Rajya Sabha has brought its PDA, Pichhda, Dalit and Alpasankhyak politics back into focus ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The choice has drawn criticism from several Opposition leaders, including ally-turned-rival Om Prakash Rajbhar, who questioned how Nathwani’s candidature fits into the SP’s political messaging. In a post on X, Rajbhar said Akhilesh Yadav had already announced candidates representing the “family and the wealthy” and suggested that the party only needed to nominate a criminal to “complete” its PDA.

“P for family, D for the affluent, and A for criminal,” Rajbhar said, referring to Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Nathwani.

The SP, however, has defended Nathwani’s candidature, arguing that his corporate background is not a departure from the party’s socialist politics.

Why Nathwani ?

According to The Indian Express, SP leaders see Nathwani’s candidature as an attempt to widen the party’s social and industry outreach. One party leader cited socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia’s idea of “sampannata aur samta” prosperity and equality, going hand in hand.

The argument within the party is that people who pay taxes contribute to the welfare state and that engagement with the corporate sector can therefore coexist with the SP’s emphasis on social equality.

Nathwani, 40, is the son of Parimal Nathwani, a senior Reliance Industries executive and Rajya Sabha MP. Parimal Nathwani was re-elected to the Upper House from Jharkhand as an NDA-backed Independent MP in June 2026, securing his fourth consecutive term.

Dhanraj Nathwani has been associated with Reliance Industries for about 16 years. He oversees the group’s Jamnagar manufacturing division and works with Reliance Jio in Gujarat.

He also leads the engineering, procurement and construction vertical and supervises construction and infrastructure projects across the Reliance ecosystem. He oversees Reliance Jio Defence System Ltd, which focuses on advanced military equipment and aerospace propulsion systems.

What Does It Mean For PDA?

The nomination has surprised sections within and outside the SP, as the party is preparing for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election around its PDA plank. However, at a press conference before the nominations, Akhilesh Yadav had hinted that the party could spring a surprise.

SP leaders maintain that the party will field a third Rajya Sabha candidate from a PDA community, potentially a Dalit or a Muslim. The party has so far announced the candidatures of veteran leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Nathwani.

The SP and Congress together have 102 MLAs, enough to elect two Rajya Sabha members, with 37 first-preference votes required for a seat. They are, however, nine first-preference votes short of the numbers needed to elect a third candidate.

The Rajya Sabha Arithmetic

Ten Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh are up for election on October 16. The effective strength of the Assembly has been reported at 397.

The possibility of a third SP candidate has therefore brought cross-voting into the political discussion. SP leaders have claimed that some BJP MLAs who may not be considered for another term could be open to supporting an Opposition candidate.

The SP’s internal reading is that Nathwani’s candidature could help counter the perception that its political appeal remains confined to traditional social constituencies.

For the SP, the Nathwani candidature is being presented as an attempt to argue that PDA politics and engagement with the corporate sector can coexist, with economic prosperity and social equality forming parallel parts of its political narrative.