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SP takes digital route to prepare ground for 2027 UP assembly polls

With the aim of boosting people connect, expanding its grassroots base and strengthening organisation down to the booth level ahead of the 2027 UP assembly polls, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has launched a state-wide membership campaign conducted through the ‘PDA Swabhiman app’ under the leadership of party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav

Published on: Sep 26, 2026, 07:43:00 IST
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With the aim of boosting people connect, expanding its grassroots base and strengthening organisation down to the booth level ahead of the 2027 UP assembly polls, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has launched a state-wide membership campaign conducted through the ‘PDA Swabhiman app’ under the leadership of party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav.

SP’s membership campaign was inaugurated in Shohratgarh assembly constituency of Siddharthnagar district on September 24. (Sourced)
SP’s membership campaign was inaugurated in Shohratgarh assembly constituency of Siddharthnagar district on September 24. (Sourced)

The campaign was formally inaugurated on Thursday in Shohratgarh assembly constituency of Siddharthnagar district under Marinder Mishra, national vice-president of the Samajwadi Shikshak Sabha. The inaugural programme was held at a chaupal in Jamthara village of Badni block.

Mishra told HT that the party has set a clear target of enrolling 400 members at every booth as per the party president’s directions. “Young and tech-savvy workers have been identified at the constituency level. They will coordinate with booth-level agents and approach people according to the new voter list,” he added.

“New members will pay ₹20 each for membership. This focused drive will help us add fresh members who are already voters according to the updated list which will eventually help us make Akhilesh Ji the next UP chief minister,” Mishra said.

The ‘PDA Swabhiman app’ is not available on the Play Store yet, and SP workers are encouraged to download the APK file to install it. The SP has also launched a web portal www.pdaswabhiman.com to facilitate membership enrolment and donation.

In a circular dated September 20, Uttar Pradesh SP chief Shyam Lal Pal directed all party district and metropolitan presidents, MLAs, MPs, former office-bearers and other party functionaries to treat the membership campaign as a top priority. The circular emphasised taking the party’s socialist ideology to the masses and strengthening the organisation at every booth.

Designated officers in each assembly constituency have been instructed to enrol the maximum number of people, with special focus on youth, women, farmers, labourers, traders and members of all social sections. District and metropolitan presidents have been asked to ensure active involvement of constituency presidents, block presidents, sector and booth-level workers.

Uttar Pradesh has approximately 1.77 lakh booths across its 403 assembly constituencies (roughly 430 booths per constituency on average). Meeting the 400 member target at every booth would mean adding over 7 crore members statewide—an ambitious organisational goal that SP leaders believe could significantly alter Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape.

The drive comes as the party seeks to build on its performance in the 2022 assembly elections, when it secured 2,95,43,934 votes (32.06% of the votes polled) and won 111 seats. That marked a sharp rise from its 2017 tally of 47. As per the final electoral roll published by the Election Commission of India on April 10, 2026, there are approximately 13.39 crore registered voters in Uttar Pradesh.

The current membership push, centred on the PDA (Pichhda-Dalit-Alpsankhyak) social coalition and digital tools, is designed to convert organisational depth into electoral strength for the next assembly polls.

Party leaders describe the campaign as a sustained effort to expand outreach, deepen booth-level networks and prepare the ground for the 2027 elections by combining technology with traditional grassroots contact.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Qazi Faraz Ahmad

Qazi Faraz Ahmad is the Deputy News Editor with Hindustan Times. With more than 18 years of experience in hardcore journalism, he has been extensively reporting on policy, politics, and governance from the Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh. Based in Lucknow, Faraz is part of the Hindustan Times UP Bureau, where he reports on key beats. He has closely tracked and covered major electoral battles, including the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the 2017 UP Assembly elections, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the 2022 UP Assembly elections, the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His sharp analysis and on-ground insights have made him a trusted voice on Uttar Pradesh politics and national policy matters. Faraz brings rich experience from reputed organisations such as Press Trust of India (PTI), CNN-News18, Dainik Jagran Group, Oman Tribune (Muscat) and other leading media houses. Known for his in-depth ground reporting and copy-editing skills, he combines journalistic rigour with a deep understanding of northern India's sociopolitical landscape. A passionate traveller and trainer associated with initiatives like the Google News Initiative, he continues to deliver credible, impactful journalism on critical developments shaping the region and the country.

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