SP certain to win 2027 UP polls, BJP's days numbered: Abu Asim Azmi
Synopsis
With UP Legislative Council voting underway across 11 seats, SP's Maharashtra chief Abu Asim Azmi declared the BJP's days are numbered and his party is certain to sweep the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls — signalling that opposition battle lines are already being drawn more than a year ahead of the state's crucial 403-seat election.
Key Takeaways
Abu Asim Azmi , SP's Maharashtra President, declared BJP's days are numbered and the SP is certain to win the 2027 UP Assembly elections .
Azmi alleged UP's law and order has collapsed under BJP rule, with farmers, youth, and schools all suffering.
Senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav expressed confidence after voting in Etawah , citing favourable responses in Etawah, Firozabad, Agra, and Aligarh.
Voting underway for 11 UP Legislative Council seats — 6 Teachers' and 5 Graduates' constituencies — with 152 candidates and 14.28 lakh voters; counting on 27 October .
The UP Assembly elections are expected in February-March 2027 to elect all 403 members of the state legislature.
Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra President and MLA Abu Asim Azmi on Friday, 23 October 2026, declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party's days in power were numbered, asserting that the SP was certain to win the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Azmi made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Lucknow, as voting was simultaneously underway for 11 seats in the UP Legislative Council.
Azmi's Attack on BJP
Azmi pulled no punches in his criticism of the ruling BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. 'Their days are numbered. The entire country is fed up with them. Only a few days remain, so let them say whatever they want. The Samajwadi Party is certain to win the 2027 elections. We are preparing our strategy, and we hope they will have to step down and leave their positions,' he said.
He alleged that law and order in the state had collapsed under BJP rule, charging that farmers, youth, and ordinary citizens were all suffering. 'Look at the condition they have brought Uttar Pradesh to. The law and order situation here is terrible. Everyone is worried. They have created an atmosphere of lawlessness, and there is no rule of law left. Farmers are distressed, young people are struggling, schools are shutting down, and people are being made to suffer,' Azmi said.
Ram Gopal Yadav Also Bullish on SP
Earlier on Friday, senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav echoed similar confidence after casting his vote in Etawah. Yadav said the response on the ground was in favour of the SP in Etawah, Firozabad, Agra, and Aligarh. He expressed optimism that both SP candidates — naming Akash Agarwal as the party's pick for the Teachers' constituency — would emerge victorious. He also expressed confidence about the party's prospects in the Graduates' constituency.
UP Legislative Council Polling Underway
Voting was in progress on Friday for 11 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council — six in Teachers' constituencies and five in Graduates' constituencies — with polling scheduled to continue until 4 pm. A total of 152 candidates are contesting, across 2,697 polling stations catering to approximately 14.28 lakh eligible voters. Vote counting is scheduled for 27 October. Notably, elections are not being held in Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, and Unnao, where the incumbent MLCs' terms extend until 2029.
Context: 2027 UP Assembly Elections
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are expected to be held in February-March 2027 to elect all 403 members of the state Legislative Assembly. This comes amid a pattern of opposition parties using state-level council polls and by-elections as barometers for 2027 sentiment — with the SP, under party chief Akhilesh Yadav, positioning itself as the primary challenger to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's BJP government. Friday's Legislative Council elections are widely seen as an early stress test for both sides ahead of that larger contest.
Point of View
But the timing — made on a day when SP is simultaneously contesting UP Legislative Council polls — makes them more than rhetoric. The council elections are a live pulse check on SP's organisational strength in western UP, a region where the party has been rebuilding since its 2022 loss. If SP performs credibly in Etawah, Firozabad, Agra, and Aligarh, it will give Akhilesh Yadav a real data point to sharpen his 2027 pitch. Conversely, BJP has governed UP for nearly eight years and will counter with infrastructure and welfare delivery records — the law-and-order charge is SP's stickiest attack, but BJP's counter-narrative on crime statistics and Yogi's strongman image has held electoral ground before. The real story in 2027 will be whether SP can rebuild backward-caste and minority consolidation without alienating swing voters.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Abu Asim Azmi say about the 2027 UP elections?
Abu Asim Azmi, the Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra President, said on 23 October 2026 that the BJP's days were numbered and that the SP was certain to win the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He said the party was actively preparing its electoral strategy.
When are the 2027 UP Assembly elections expected?
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are expected to be held in February-March 2027, to elect all 403 members of the state Legislative Assembly. The elections will be a direct contest between the incumbent BJP government and the SP-led opposition.
What are the UP Legislative Council elections being held on 23 October 2026?
Voting is underway for 11 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council — 6 in Teachers' constituencies and 5 in Graduates' constituencies. A total of 152 candidates are contesting, with approximately 14.28 lakh eligible voters across 2,697 polling stations; vote counting is scheduled for 27 October.
What did Ram Gopal Yadav say about SP's prospects?
Senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, after casting his vote in Etawah on Friday, said the response was in favour of the SP in Etawah, Firozabad, Agra, and Aligarh. He expressed confidence that both SP candidates — including Akash Agarwal in the Teachers' constituency — would win.
Why are no elections being held in Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, and Unnao?
Elections are not being held in Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, and Unnao because the terms of their respective Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) extend until 2029, making them ineligible for the current round of biennial council polls.
