The Samajwadi Party (SP) has made a significant move in Western Uttar Pradesh politics by declaring Pramendra Bhati, president of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Bar Association, as its candidate for the Meerut-Saharanpur Legislative Council (Graduate) seat.
Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party has taken a crucial step to further strengthen its Backward, Dalit, and Minority (PDA) vote bank in Western Uttar Pradesh. The party has announced Pramendra Bhati, president of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Bar Association, as its candidate for the Meerut-Saharanpur seat in the Legislative Council Graduate elections. Pramendra Bhati stated that his nomination is no ordinary matter.
SP National President Akhilesh Yadav has bestowed great honor upon his community and the legal fraternity. Preparations for the Legislative Council graduate and teacher seat elections are currently in full swing across the state. The SP had already declared Nitin Tomar from Hapur district as its candidate for the teacher's seat in the Meerut-Saharanpur division.
SP's PDA Strategy Gets a New Face
In recent months, the SP has forged several social equations to strengthen its "PDA" (Backward, Dalit, and Minority) organization. To make this policy effective in Western Uttar Pradesh, the party has now placed its trust in Pramendra Bhati. Bhati has not only served as the president of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Bar Association twice but has also contested for a member position in the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council twice. He is recognized as an active advocate and a socially influential figure.
Pramendra Bhati belongs to the Gurjar community, which is considered a powerful community in Western Uttar Pradesh. There is a significant number of Gurjar voters in this region, especially in districts like Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Baghpat, Shamli, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Gautam Buddh Nagar. The SP's move is seen as an effort to mobilize the Gurjar community in these districts. According to political analysts, the SP has this time emphasized "reliable leadership over vote banks" to strengthen the party's grip at the local level.
Discussion on Akhilesh Yadav's Decision
SP President Akhilesh Yadav personally finalized Pramendra Bhati's name. After the announcement of his candidature, Bhati said, "My nomination is not just an honor for me, but for the entire community and the legal fraternity. The trust Akhilesh Yadav Ji has shown, understanding the role of advocates, is a historic step."
He further stated that there is a "wave of PDA" in the state, and the Samajwadi Party is in the fray this time with a resolve to give representation to every section of society. According to sources, SP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhati and senior leader Dev Ranjan Nagar played a crucial role in this decision. Both leaders suggested at the organizational level that the representation of advocates would bring credibility and intellectual support to the party.
