SP decides not a field a third candidate for the Rajya Sabha election
The Samajwadi Party has decided not to field a third candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Party leader Akhilesh Yadav stated that the focus has shifted toward winning the 2027 state assembly elections.
Why it matters
This decision signals a strategic pivot by the opposition party to consolidate resources for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) decided not to field a third candidate for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election, paving the way for all 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh to be filled without a contest.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the SP engaged in political slugfest over the development, with the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ridiculing the Opposition party, while the SP hit back to say the real target was the Assembly election in early 2027.
“Now our focus is not on three (Rajya Sabha nominations), but on 403 (the number of seats in the U.P. Assembly),” Mr. Yadav said on social media platform X, with the party deciding to focus its energy on the forthcoming Assembly election, having analysed the current political situation. The SP national president’s post made it clear that the party was preparing to contest all Assembly seats.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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