Lucknow (Gurpreet Singh): With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections drawing closer, political parties have intensified efforts to expand their support base among different communities. The latest political focus has shifted to the Sikh community, as the Samajwadi Party (SP) organised a Sikh convention in a bid to strengthen its engagement with the community across the state.
The event is being viewed as part of the party’s broader strategy to consolidate support among minority groups and socially influential communities. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has increasingly focused on outreach programmes targeting various sections of society as the election campaign gains momentum.
Sikh population influential in several districts
Although Sikhs constitute a relatively small segment of Uttar Pradesh’s population, their presence is considered politically significant in several districts. Estimates suggest that nearly seven lakh Sikhs reside in the state, with sizeable populations in Pilibhit, Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj and Varanasi.
The community is regarded as economically strong and socially well-organised, making it an important constituency for political parties seeking wider electoral support.
Currently, the Sikh community has representation in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, while a Sikh leader also serves as a minister in the state government.
BJP rejects SP’s outreach, cites its own record
Reacting to the Samajwadi Party’s initiative, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserted that it has consistently respected and supported the Sikh community through development initiatives and welfare measures.
Senior BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Sikh Gurdwara Coordination Committee president Sardar Parvinder Singh claimed that the BJP government had undertaken several initiatives for the development of Sikh religious institutions and infrastructure. He said the state government had extended financial support for the development of gurdwaras and other places of religious importance.
He also criticised the Samajwadi Party, alleging that its minority outreach had traditionally remained limited to a specific section of the electorate, while claiming that the BJP had worked for the welfare of all communities, including Sikhs.
Political outreach intensifies
As campaigning gradually gathers pace ahead of the Assembly elections, both the ruling BJP and the opposition SP are stepping up efforts to engage different social and religious groups. Political observers believe such targeted outreach programmes are likely to become more frequent in the coming months as parties attempt to strengthen their electoral equations before voters head to the polls.
