Uttar Pradesh NDA allies ramp up quota demands ahead of 2027 polls

Despite the next assembly election still some time away, NDA allies in Uttar Pradesh have stepped up demands around reservation to assert their influence.

Nishad Party leader and minister Sanjay Nishad warned that excluding the Nishad community from the SC reservation list could harm the alliance's 2027 poll prospects. He said that if major issues like Ram Mandir and Article 370 have been addressed, extending SC status to Nishads should not be difficult.

SBSP leader and minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also demanded that the Rohini Commission report on OBC sub-categorisation be implemented in UP. "Only a few castes corner the entire 27% OBC quota. The SC has allowed quota within quota. Haryana has done it-why not UP?" he told ET, adding that he has flagged the issue to CM Yogi Adityanath and plans to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah.


Rajbhar is also eyeing the Mau Sadar seat, now vacant after his party MLA Abbas Ansari was convicted. He wants the seat for his son Arvind Rajbhar. "After Muslims, Rajbhars form the largest group-about 80,000-in Mau Sadar. We will contest it," he said.

Apna Dal's Ashish Patel has also raised issues with the state government recently, adding to signs of friction within the alliance.