LUCKNOW, Oct 2: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Friday criticised the Samajwadi Party (SP) over its choices for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the party’s nominations were inconsistent with its public emphasis on backward classes, Dalits and minorities.
In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister accused the SP of relying on family connections and wealthy individuals while seeking electoral support under the PDA banner, which refers to Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak communities.
Mayawati referred to the nomination of senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as examples of what she described as a gap between the party’s political messaging and its candidate choices. The SP has nominated the two for the Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh, with both candidates filing their papers in Lucknow in the presence of party president Akhilesh Yadav.
Ram Gopal Yadav is a senior SP leader and the party’s general secretary, while Nathwani is a corporate executive associated with Reliance Industries and a sports administrator. The SP’s selection of Nathwani has attracted attention because of his corporate background and connections with Gujarat.
Mayawati questioned the SP’s claim of representing socially disadvantaged groups, saying the party seeks votes by invoking the PDA framework but does not reflect the same approach in its nominations.
She also referred to the possibility of the SP fielding a third candidate in the Rajya Sabha contest. The party had, at the time of her remarks, announced two candidates, while reports indicated that another nomination could be considered.
The Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled for October 16, with 10 seats from the state going to polls. The Election Commission has also announced an election for one seat in Uttarakhand on the same date.
Mayawati said the BSP’s approach to candidate selection was different from that of the SP and other political parties. She claimed that her party gives greater importance to workers from economically weaker and marginalised sections rather than family members or affluent individuals.
The BSP chief also accused the SP of presenting itself as a socialist organisation while pursuing what she characterised as family-oriented and money-influenced politics. These allegations form part of Mayawati’s broader criticism of the SP’s political strategy ahead of the next Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
She appealed to members of communities including Dalits, tribals, extremely backward classes, Muslims and other minorities, as well as economically weaker sections among upper castes, to examine political claims carefully before the 2027 Assembly elections.
Mayawati maintained that the BSP represented the interests of these groups and urged voters not to be influenced solely by the SP’s PDA messaging.
The exchange comes as political parties in Uttar Pradesh prepare for the Rajya Sabha contest and begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 state Assembly elections. The SP’s nomination of Nathwani has also generated discussion because it brings a corporate figure into a contest traditionally dominated by established political leaders.
The upcoming Rajya Sabha election is being closely watched in Uttar Pradesh because of the distribution of seats among parties in the state Assembly. SP candidates Ram Gopal Yadav and Nathwani have already completed the nomination process, while the final contest will depend on the candidates ultimately fielded by all parties and the voting strength available to them.
Mayawati’s remarks add another dimension to the political debate, with the BSP seeking to distinguish its approach from both the SP and other major parties in the state.
The BSP chief’s criticism also places renewed attention on the meaning and implementation of the PDA framework, which has become an important part of the SP’s political outreach to backward classes, Dalits and minorities.
While Mayawati has challenged the SP’s claims, the Samajwadi Party’s candidate selection reflects its own political strategy for the Upper House contest. The two nominees represent different backgrounds, with Ram Gopal Yadav being a longstanding political figure and Nathwani coming from the corporate and sports-administration sectors.
With the Rajya Sabha election approaching and the 2027 Assembly polls on the political horizon, the competing parties are increasingly highlighting their respective approaches to representation, social alliances and candidate selection.