The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday, 3 October 2026, announced the replacement of two of its candidates ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections scheduled for 23 October, fielding Akash Agrawal for the Agra teachers' constituency and Sanjay Tripathi for the Gorakhpur-Faizabad teachers' constituency. The changes mark a late but calculated reshuffle by the party as it seeks to consolidate its position in teacher and graduate quota seats.

The Candidate Changes

Ram Prakash Gupta, earlier named for the Agra division, has been replaced by Akash Agrawal — the outgoing independent MLC from the Agra teachers' constituency who recently joined the SP. According to the party, Agrawal's influence among the teacher community and his local organisational standing drove the decision to field him.

In the Gorakhpur-Faizabad seat, Kamlesh Yadav has been replaced by Sanjay Tripathi. SP President Akhilesh Yadav stated that the changes had been made with the consent of the outgoing candidates, adding that he would remain 'forever grateful' to Kamlesh Yadav and Prakash Chandra Gupta for their cooperation. Both have been assured of 'appropriate responsibilities at the appropriate time.'

The Political Significance of Sanjay Tripathi's Inclusion

The nomination of Sanjay Tripathi carries particular weight. Tripathi had reportedly been in talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a ticket in the same constituency. After the BJP chose to field Dhruv Tripathi instead, Sanjay Tripathi announced he would contest as an independent. The SP's move to bring him into its fold is a tactical play — turning a potential vote-splitter into an ally.

This is not the first time Uttar Pradesh's teacher and graduate MLC seats have seen last-minute candidate manoeuvring. These constituencies, while smaller in scale than Assembly polls, serve as a barometer of party organisation and community outreach at the grassroots level.

Akhilesh Yadav's Broader Election Campaign Pitch

Announcing the candidates, Akhilesh Yadav also mounted a sharp attack on the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. He alleged that BJP members had fraudulently secured votes and questioned the functioning of the state's governance, administration, and policing over the past 10 years. Citing Supreme Court observations on the police system, he said, 'The police system in the state has deteriorated.'

Yadav alleged that action under the Goonda Act had been threatened against a person who posted a video on social media showing a flooded road in Gorakhpur, and pointed to the murder of a wrestler in Sant Kabir Nagar as evidence of deteriorating law and order.

On education, he alleged that paper leaks had increased under the BJP government and claimed discrimination in government recruitment. He said the SP's manifesto would address the concerns of ad-hoc teachers, unaided teachers, Shiksha Mitras, and advocates of the old pension scheme.

PDA Alliance and the Road to 2027

Yadav placed the SP's PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak — backward, Dalit, and minority communities) alliance at the centre of the campaign, arguing it had helped defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He claimed unemployment had risen sharply under the current administration and promised free healthcare for the poor if the SP returns to power.

'If the Samajwadi Party forms the government, free treatment will be provided to the poor,' he said, signalling that the MLC elections are being used as a rehearsal for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Election Timeline

Voting across the two teacher constituencies — and 11 other Legislative Council seats under the teacher and graduate quota — is set for 23 October, with vote counting on 27 October. The results will offer an early indication of SP's ground strength and BJP's hold on educated, organised voter blocs ahead of the full Assembly contest.