‘Diamond cuts diamond’ formula for the 2027 UP elections: Will Akhilesh Yadav seek to counter Yogi’s Hindutva by leveraging prominent religious leaders?

The political chessboard has already started to be laid for the assembly elections to be held in Uttar Pradesh in the year 2027. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is trying to regain power in the state, is making a big strategy this time to corner BJP and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on their own pitch. There is a buzz in the political circles that this time Akhilesh Yadav is working on the ‘Diamond Cuts Diamond’ (iron cuts iron) formula. Under this, SP is now preparing to bring big Sanatan religious leaders, saints and storytellers into its fold or create its new image with the help of BJP in comparison to its staunch Hindutva stance.

Now the flavor of ‘soft Hindutva’ with PDA formula

In the last Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘PDA’ (Backward, Dalit, Minority) formula was very successful, which stopped the victory chariot of BJP in UP. But SP strategists believe that caste equations alone will not be enough to neutralize the face of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Hindutva agenda in the 2027 assembly elections. This is the reason why SP has now completely washed away the stigma of minority appeasement and has embarked on the path of connecting ‘soft Hindutva’ and the entire society.

Unique campaign to cultivate saint community and storytellers

Under this new strategy of Akhilesh Yadav, contacts are being made with the saints, abbots and popular storytellers of Uttar Pradesh, especially the major religious centers like Ayodhya, Varanasi (Kashi), and Mathura. SP’s effort is to send a message among the public that Sanatan Dharma and respect for sages and saints are not limited to just one party. If experts are to be believed, Akhilesh Yadav may soon be seen sharing the stage with saints in some big religious events, so that Yogi Adityanath’s stronghold can be breached.

Will this new move of Akhilesh Yadav work?

According to political analysts, this step of Akhilesh Yadav to make inroads into BJP’s core voter bank i.e. the majority society can prove to be very shocking and effective. It is being called ‘Diamond Cuts Diamond’ because to reduce the influence of saffron clad Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, SP is also now taking refuge in saffron and saints. However, BJP is calling this strategy an election hypocrisy of SP. Now it remains to be seen how much the people of UP accept this new avatar of Akhilesh Yadav in the grand contest of 2027.