LUCKNOW, May 28 -- National Panchayati Raj Gram Pradhan Organisation on Wednesday welcomed the UP government's decision to appoint gram pradhans as administrators, calling it a major step towards strengthening elected village representatives and ensuring continuity of development works in rural areas. The organisation also hinted at extending support to the ruling BJP in the 2027 assembly elections, with its national president Dr Akhilesh Singh saying that gram pradhans would "return the gift" given by the government.Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh Singh said the decision reflected the commitment of the Yogi Adityanath government towards democratic institutions and elected representatives. He said the organisation would launch a statewide outreach campaign to inform gram pradhans and the public about the move. "The chief minister had promised during the Gram Utkarsh Samaroh in December 2021 that he would run a triple-engine government. By granting administrative powers to gram pradhans, he has fulfilled that promise. The return gift for this decision will be given in 2027," Akhilesh Singh said. However, he clarified that the organisation would not directly seek votes for any political party. "We are not going to ask people to vote for anyone. But it is our responsibility to tell people that the government stood firmly with elected representatives and democratic values," he added. The organisation said it had been pursuing the issue with the state government and Panchayati Raj department for nearly two months. According to its office-bearers, delegations met senior officials and political leaders, including Panchayati Raj minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary and senior bureaucrats, seeking administrative powers for gram pradhans in Uttar Pradesh's 57,694 gram panchayats.State president Lalit Sharma said the organisation had also cited examples from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, where similar arrangements had already been implemented. Rajasthan had constituted administrative committees in January 2025, while Uttarakhand issued a similar order in December 2024, he said. Organisation leaders announced that thanksgiving programmes would be organised at the state, divisional, district and block levels to express gratitude to the government and continue dialogue over issues concerning panchayats. Akhilesh Singh and Lalit Sharma also thanked chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Panchayati Raj minister Om Prakash Rajbhar and Sarojini Nagar MLA Rajeshwar Singh for supporting the demand raised by the organisation....