Confident of a hat-trick in U.P.: Nabin

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would retain power in Uttar Pradesh for a third consecutive term in the 2027 Assembly election, party national president Nitin Nabin said on Tuesday.

“Neither our workers nor our leaders are part-time politicians. Our only aim is to serve the public,” he said addressing a gathering of office-bearers and workers in Saharanpur, concluding his two-day visit to western U.P., his first after becoming the national president.

“Today I had the opportunity to meet the workers and interact with our senior leaders in Saharanpur and the whole of western Uttar Pradesh. The enthusiasm of the workers and their energy clearly indicate that in 2027, the BJP will again form a government with a thumping majority,” he said.

Draws road map

Earlier in the day, he held meetings in Saharanpur with several MPs, MLAs and key office-bearers of the party and outlined the road map ahead. During the interactions, the party chief emphasised strengthening booth-level preparations.

On Monday, he addressed a Yuva Samvad programme in Meerut as part of an outreach to the youth.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathji, there is a public belief in development with cultural heritage. The common man is confident that under these two leaders, the goals of a developed Viksit Bharat (Developed India) and Uttam Pradesh (best State) will be achieved,” he said at Tuesday’s event, praising the Union and State governments for introducing various welfare measures and ending “lawlessness” in the State.

He urged party workers, whom he described as the party’s “backbone”, to ensure that “lotus blooms again” in U.P.

Differing voices

Meanwhile, west U.P. MPs — Iqra Hasan (Kairana) of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Imran Masood (Saharanpur) of the Congress — made contradictory claims over their parties’ roles and capabilities in taking on the ruling party ahead of formal discussions on a pre-poll alliance.

Mr. Masood said, “Only [Congress leader and Rae Bareli MP] Rahul Gandhi is the Opposition’s voice across the country, which unnerves the BJP. No one should be under any illusion — nothing is possible without Rahulji.”

The Saharanpur MP has been pushing for the two parties to reach an early seat-sharing arrangement while claiming an “equal partner” status for the Congress.

On the other hand, Ms. Hasan said only the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is capable of defeating the BJP. She added that without her party, the Congress has little hope in U.P.

“Only Akhilesh Yadav is capable of defeating the BJP. On its own, the Congress won’t be able to achieve much,” she said.