CM Yogi targets Congress, SP over OBC recognition in UP
Synopsis
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath publicly declared that BJP honoured communities ignored by Congress and the Samajwadi Party, sharpening his OBC outreach pitch ahead of the next UP assembly cycle.
Key Takeaways
CM Yogi Adityanath stated: 'Those whom Congress and SP did not acknowledge, we have honoured them' — targeting OBC voters in a public address on 6 August 2026 .
The remark contrasts BJP governance with the Samajwadi Party 's 2012–2017 tenure, which critics say primarily benefited Yadav communities over other OBC groups.
BJP has governed Uttar Pradesh since 2017 and has systematically pursued non-Yadav OBC communities as a core electoral strategy.
The statement reflects a broader BJP effort to build a wide Hindu voter coalition beyond its traditional upper-caste support base.
With the next UP assembly cycle approaching, OBC recognition rhetoric and community outreach programmes are expected to intensify across party lines.
A sharp political charge landed on Thursday, 6 August 2026, when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath drew a pointed contrast between BJP's record and that of the Indian National Congress and the Samajwadi Party on the question of social recognition for communities long ignored by the state's earlier governments.
Speaking in what appeared to be a public address, CM Yogi declared: 'Jin ko Congress aur Samajwadi Party ne poocha nahi, hamne unki pooja ki hai' — 'Those whom Congress and the Samajwadi Party did not even acknowledge, we have honoured them.'
The communities Congress and SP 'never asked about'
The remark is aimed squarely at OBC communities in Uttar Pradesh — a vast and politically decisive bloc that successive governments have courted with varying degrees of sincerity. CM Yogi's framing is deliberate: 'pooja' (reverence, worship) against the implied indifference of two rival parties. It is the language of dignity, not just policy, and that distinction is the whole point.
The Samajwadi Party, which governed UP from 2012 to 2017, built its support base primarily around the Yadav community — one OBC sub-group among dozens. Critics from non-Yadav OBC communities have long argued that SP's social outreach rarely extended beyond that core constituency. The Indian National Congress, meanwhile, has faced sustained BJP criticism for what the saffron party frames as a minority-appeasement framework that sidelined Hindu backward communities.
BJP's UP playbook: expanding the Hindu coalition
Since taking power in 2017, BJP under Yogi Adityanath has systematically worked to consolidate non-Yadav OBC groups — a strategy visible in cabinet appointments, welfare scheme branding, and cultural recognition events. Statements like today's are not incidental; they are a recurring feature of the party's effort to cement a broader Hindu voter coalition that transcends the upper-caste base the party once relied on most heavily.
With the next Uttar Pradesh state assembly cycle on the horizon, expect this rhetoric to intensify. Community honour ceremonies, caste outreach programmes, and symbolic gestures of recognition will be watched closely as indicators of how seriously the BJP intends to press this advantage — and how hard the SP scrambles to reclaim ground among OBC voters it cannot afford to lose.
For now, CM Yogi has drawn the line clearly: in UP's caste arithmetic, the fight is no longer just about who governs — it is about who is seen to care.
Point of View
Making OBC recognition feel like a matter of dignity rather than transactional politics. The Samajwadi Party faces a structural problem here: its Yadav-centric identity makes it genuinely difficult to rebut the charge that non-Yadav OBCs were overlooked. As UP moves toward its next assembly contest, BJP's control of this symbolic terrain — who is 'honoured', who is 'seen' — could prove as decisive as any welfare scheme. The Congress, largely marginal in UP, is included in the attack primarily to paint the 'neglect' as a long historical pattern rather than a single rival's failure.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Yogi Adityanath say about Congress and Samajwadi Party?
CM Yogi said that communities whom Congress and the Samajwadi Party never acknowledged have been honoured by his BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.
Which communities is CM Yogi referring to in his speech?
CM Yogi's remarks are directed at OBC (Other Backward Class) communities in Uttar Pradesh, particularly non-Yadav OBC groups who have historically felt underrepresented under SP rule.
Why does BJP criticise SP over OBC representation?
BJP argues that the Samajwadi Party's OBC outreach was largely limited to the Yadav community, leaving other backward-class groups politically and socially marginalised during SP's 2012–2017 tenure.
What is BJP's caste strategy in Uttar Pradesh?
Since 2017, BJP under Yogi Adityanath has focused on consolidating non-Yadav OBC communities through cabinet representation, welfare scheme branding, and cultural recognition — broadening its base beyond upper-caste voters.
When did Yogi Adityanath make this statement?
The statement was made on Thursday, 6 August 2026 , posted on X from his official account.
