Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has its sights set on the Gurjar community in western Uttar Pradesh, particularly along the Yamuna belt. The idea is to offset Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) growing influence among Jats, especially after its alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Jayant Chaudhary, who is a minister in PM Modi’s cabinet.
As part of this outreach, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to address a ‘Gurjar Jagrukta’ rally in Greater Noida, in Gautam Buddha Nagar district in the coming days. The rally will be held after a series of ‘Gurjar chaupals’ organised in Gurjar-dominated assembly constituencies of western UP.
According to senior party leaders, Gurjar voters have presence in more than 100 Assembly seats across the region, with at least 50 seats where they hold sway.
Gurjars make up an estimated 3.5 percent of Uttar Pradesh’s total population. With minimal Yadav presence in the Yamuna belt, stretching from Saharanpur to Agra, the SP is banking on the Gurjar-Muslim combination to strengthen its prospects in the 2017 assembly polls.
Speaking to ThePrint, SP spokesperson and Gurjar leader Raj Kumar Bhati said, “We have conducted an internal survey which shows Gurjar voters are present in 132 assembly seats. Of these, 76 seats have more than 10,000 Gurjar voters, while 31 seats have over 25,000. In fact, in 21 constituencies, a Gurjar candidate has won at least once.”
He added, “Our effort is to unite the community in favour of the Samajwadi Party, as our leader has consistently raised Gurjar issues both on social media and in public rallies.”
Also read: SP’s social engineering vs BJP’s core base—the caste battle in UP
Akhilesh’s outreach
At a recent public meeting with Gurjar community leaders, Akhilesh Yadav introduced Raj Kumar Bhati as the party’s most effective spokesperson, a move SP insiders see as a clear signal to the community. The meeting was convened at the party’s Delhi camp office, rather than in Lucknow, to make it easier for workers from across western UP to attend.
Another senior Gurjar face in the party, Mukhiya Gurjar, who also heads Pathik Sena, announced that the SP has launched ‘Gurjar chaupals’ after a strategy meeting with Akhilesh at the party’s Delhi camp office. “We are holding constituency-wise Gurjar chaupals to tell our people that the SP is the only party standing for OBCs. The current BJP regime is samantvadi (feudalistic) and a supporter of the ‘upper caste’ only.”
He added, “We are also highlighting the issue of Samrat Mihir Bhoj. While Rajputs claim him as their ancestor, the truth is, he was a Gujrar. The Rajputs are in power and trying to appropriate his legacy, but SP has made it clear that Mihir Bhoj belonged to our community. Akhilesh Yadav himself extended greetings on Mihir Bhoj’s birth anniversary.”
The Mihir Bhoj controversy dates back to 2021, when CM Yogi Adityanath unveiled a statue of the ruler in Dadri, sparking a dispute between Gurjars and Rajputs, both of whom claim Mihir Bhoj as theirs.
Political analyst Shilp Shikha Singh, assistant professor at Lucknow’s Giri Institute of Development Studies, observed that in western UP, caste combinations of Dalits, Muslims, Jats, and Gurjars play a decisive role.
“If Gurjars and Dalits back the SP, it could effectively counter the BJP in the region. The party’s Gurjar outreach is part of its larger non-Yadav OBC strategy, which helped them even in the 2024 elections despite Jayant Chaudhary siding with the NDA,” she said.
According to SP sources, the leadership is trying to address the Jat-Gurjar rivalry, as most Jats are now seen backing the BJP. “To fill the gap left by the absence of Yadav voters in the region, the party is focusing on building a Gurjar-Muslim alliance,” said one insider.
Gurjars and lack of representation
The Gurjar community has also raised concerns about lack of representation in Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet, where no Gurjar holds a ministerial post. Somendra Tomar is the only minister from the Gurjar community with the rank of MoS (minister of state).
A BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, speaking on condition of anonymity, told ThePrint, “The lack of Gurjar representation in the government is indeed a major issue, as there is only one minister of state. On a lighter note, we sometimes joke that he handles the power department without any real power.”
Currently, the BJP has six Gurjar MLAs, while the SP has just one. With Jayant Chaudhary’s entry into the NDA consolidating Jat votes for the BJP, the question of Gurjar votes and the Mihir Bhoj dispute have added fresh challenges for the ruling party.
SP leader Mukhiya Gurjar added, “We are expecting at least 20 tickets this time from the party. Last time, 11 were given and one of them won.”
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Who is Nand Kishor Gurjar, BJP MLA with SP roots waging war against Yogi govt, UP Police
