Lucknow, March 10 -- Brahmins are back on the centre stage of political discourse in Uttar Pradesh and observers feel that the politically vocal and influential community may emerge as an important undercurrent ahead of the 2027 assembly elections in the state. A series of recent developments has fuelled a perception in some quarters that sections of the community are unhappy with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), prompting Opposition parties to step up efforts to woo Brahmin voters. As Brahmins are estimated to constitute around 10-12% of Uttar Pradesh's electorate and wield influence in several constituencies, their political mood and other parties' bid to win them over are likely to remain closely watched in the run-up to the 2027 assembly polls. The Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress are all trying to woo Brahmins by promising them the honour and political space "they deserve". The BSP recently announced its first candidate for the next assembly elections well in advance and the choice is unmistakably a Brahmin. One of the early and visible flashpoints came when the newly appointed UP BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary publicly objected to around 50 Brahmin MLAs meeting over dinner (sahbhoj) in Lucknow last December, warning such gatherings would not be tolerated in the future. Not only did the gathering itself trigger a political buzz about resentment in the UP BJP, but Chaudhary's warning did not go down well with Brahmins who felt that similar meetings by other caste groups had not drawn such criticism. Then, the debate gained momentum around the new UGC regulations, which were claimed to be biased against upper-caste students. Another controversy erupted around a face-off between Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and the Magh Mela administration in Prayagraj. Recently, former deputy CM and Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma faced sloganeering at a Brahmin gathering in Lucknow after he avoided taking a clear stand on the UGC regulations. Around the same time, veteran BJP leader and former governor Kalraj Mishra also made remarks highlighting concerns related to the UGC regulations as well as the community. Underlying these developments is a broader perception in some quarters that the community's political influence in the state power structure has diminished. BJP leaders dismiss such claims as politically motivated. Leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have organised Brahmin outreach programmes in the past and may attempt to revive such efforts as the next election approaches. The Mayawati-led BSP forming a majority government in 2007 and subsequently the SP under Akhilesh Yadav doing so in 2012 are attributed to much of the support Brahmins extended to them. According to party insiders, the BJP leadership has informally advised some of its Brahmin leaders to avoid participating in community-specific gatherings where sensitive issues could lead to confrontational situations. Political analyst Brajesh Shukla said, "Brahmins may have complaints with the BJP over certain issues, but in the end they are likely to continue supporting the party because the alternatives do not appear stronger to them." The BJP has largely refrained from aggressively countering the narrative of Brahmin discontent. Political observers say the party leadership appears mindful of the delicate caste balance it has built over the years. "Despite some complaints, genuine or manufactured, Brahmins will not ditch the party," said a BJP MLC....