Lucknow, June 9 -- Political activity has intensified in Uttar Pradesh amid growing indications that the 2027 Assembly elections could be held ahead of schedule, although no official announcement has been made by the Election Commission.
The speculation gained momentum after BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) Dharampal Singh asked party leaders to adopt the "West Bengal election model" in Uttar Pradesh and expedite the appointment of booth guardians across the state.
Addressing presidents of the BJP's 98 organisational districts, Singh instructed the party to quickly complete the deployment of nearly 1.76 lakh booth guardians, underscoring the importance of strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level. "Win the booth, win the election" remains the party's central strategy.
Political and bureaucratic circles point to a few major factors that could favour an early election.
The first is the nationwide Census. While the first phase is underway until September 30, the second phase is scheduled between February 9 and 28, 2027, coinciding with the period when the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are currently due.
The second phase of the Census will collect socio-economic and caste-related data and will require the deployment of around 5.25 lakh teachers and more than 600 district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates in Uttar Pradesh.
Election officials said the same administrative machinery is generally used for both Census and election duties. Conducting both exercises simultaneously could severely strain the state's administrative apparatus.
The second factor is the clash with board examinations. UP Board, CBSE and ICSE examinations are held during February and March, engaging lakhs of teachers in conducting examinations and evaluating answer sheets.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.