UP Polls 2027: NDA Allies Seek More Seats As BJP Weighs Claims Constituency-wise

Ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, internal discussions have begun within the BJP-led NDA over seat-sharing, with allies seeking a larger share than they received in 2022. 

The allies are expected to base their claims on their performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, their organisational strength and local social equations. The BJP, meanwhile, is assessing the claims seat by seat. Formal negotiations are expected to begin after this assessment. 

Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad has publicly sought more seats, particularly in constituencies where the BJP has been weak in previous elections. Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar is also seeking a larger share. Apna Dal (S) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are expected to press for more seats in their respective areas of influence. 

In the 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP contested 376 seats of the total 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh and won 255. Apna Dal (S), then an NDA ally, contested 17 seats and won 12, while the Nishad Party contested 10 and won six. 

The SBSP, which was then part of the Samajwadi Party-led alliance and is now with the NDA, contested 19 seats and won six. The RLD, also part of the SP alliance at the time, contested 33 seats and won eight. Both parties have since moved to the NDA, changing the arithmetic for the 2027 elections. 

In 2022, the BJP, Apna Dal (S) and Nishad Party together won 273 seats. With the SBSP and RLD now part of the NDA, the alliance's seat-sharing negotiations will have to take into account a much broader set of claims than in the previous Assembly election. 

Amid these negotiations is Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a BJP ally at the Centre that wants to contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The party is looking to reach out to Dalit voters, particularly those who shifted towards the Samajwadi Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to sources, BJP will rope in Chirag Paswan for campaigning as the party doesn't have big Paswan leaders in its fold. Most of the caste's tall leaders, including R.K. Chaudhary, Indrajeet Saroj and Awadhesh Prasad, are with SP. 

In July, Paswan announced that the LJP (RV) intended to contest the Uttar Pradesh elections. He reiterated the party’s intention to contest in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The LJP (RV) is focusing on non-Jatav Dalit voters, particularly Pasis and Paswans in Awadh region. BJP had lost these Pasi-dominated seats in 2024. With the Bahujan Samaj Party losing ground and the SP making gains among Dalit voters in 2024, Paswan’s entry into the electoral contest could add another layer to the NDA’s seat-sharing calculations. 

2024 Performance To Shape Claims 

The allies are also looking at their performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while seeking a larger share. The RLD won both seats it contested, while Apna Dal (S) won one seat. The SBSP contested one seat but did not win it. Nishad Party candidates contested two seats on the BJP symbol. 

BJP sources said the party's assessment would not be based solely on the demands of its allies. It will examine the combined strength of the NDA in individual constituencies, taking into account the local organisation, previous Assembly and Lok Sabha results, social equations and the standing of potential candidates. 

Allies May Contest Some Seats On BJP Symbol 

The BJP is also considering a strategy under which some seats could be allotted directly to allies, while strong candidates from some allied parties could contest on the BJP's lotus symbol, said sources. 

The arrangement could allow the alliance to accommodate the demands of its partners while retaining candidates considered strong in particular constituencies. 

For the BJP, however, the negotiations will also involve balancing the claims of its own workers with those of its allies. The allies, in turn, are seeking a larger number of seats that they believe reflects their social support and organisational presence. 

A constituency-by-constituency assessment in the coming months is therefore expected to shape the NDA's final seat-sharing formula for the 2027 Assembly elections.