Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India, holds a very important place in the country’s politics. With 80 Lok Sabha seats, the state often decides who will form the government at the Centre. But UP’s own political story has seen many changes. From the early days when Congress dominated state politics to the rise of regional powers like the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party and finally to the present-day dominance of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Uttar Pradesh’s political journey reflects not just changes in leadership but also the changing mood and needs of the people.
The Congress Era (1947–1989)
After India’s independence in 1947, the Congress Party became the first choice of voters across the country. In Uttar Pradesh too, Congress easily won the first few state and general elections. Its leaders were seen as freedom fighters who had led India to freedom. One of the early chief ministers of UP was Govind Ballabh Pant. The people trusted the Congress leadership, and for several decades, the party ruled the state without much competition.
From 1951 until the late 1980s, Congress remained the most powerful political force in Uttar Pradesh. During this time, most of the state’s development work, such as the building of schools, colleges, government buildings, and early industrial projects, happened under Congress governments. The Congress party also had strong support among upper castes, Muslims, and some sections of Dalits.
However, by the late 1970s, this dominance started to weaken. One major reason was the imposition of the Emergency by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. The Emergency led to the arrest of opposition leaders and a restriction of press freedom, which made many people turn against Congress. In the 1977 general elections, for the first time, a non-Congress government came to power in both Delhi and UP, led by the Janata Party. Although the Congress returned to power in the early 1980s, the cracks had started to appear.
After Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, her son Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister. That year, the Congress Party won a big election. But in Uttar Pradesh, many people had already started looking for other options. Voters from backward castes and Dalit communities felt that Congress was not paying attention to their problems. They believed the party was only helping a few rich or powerful groups. Because of this, new regional parties started becoming popular.
The rise of Samajwadi Party and BSP: Caste politics and regional identity
The 1990s marked a major shift in Uttar Pradesh politics. This was the time when regional parties became powerful, and caste identity became a central part of politics in the state. Two major political forces rose during this period — the Samajwadi Party (SP), led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Kanshi Ram and later Mayawati.
Mulayam Singh Yadav, a teacher-turned-politician from the Yadav community, formed the Samajwadi Party in 1992. He followed the ideas of socialist leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia and aimed to give a political voice to Other Backward Classes (OBCs), especially Yadavs. Around the same time, Kanshi Ram started mobilising Dalits under the banner of the BSP. His mission was to bring the oppressed castes to the front of power. After him, Mayawati became the face of the party and eventually became the first Dalit woman Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
This rise of SP and BSP coincided with a major event in Indian politics — the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. In 1992, the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished by kar sevaks who were demanding the construction of a Ram temple at the site. This event led to communal riots across the country and changed the political atmosphere of UP. It gave a boost to the BJP, which had supported the temple movement. However, it also helped SP and BSP gain Muslim and Dalit support, who felt threatened by the growing communal tension.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, SP and BSP took turns ruling Uttar Pradesh. In 1993, Mulayam Singh Yadav became Chief Minister with support from the BSP, but their alliance did not last long. Mayawati later became CM with support from the BJP, showing how unpredictable politics had become in the state. Over time, both SP and BSP built strong voter bases — SP among Yadavs and Muslims, and BSP among Dalits and some OBC groups. The Congress, once the natural choice of voters, slowly faded from the picture.
The SP focused on welfare schemes, free education, and jobs for backward groups. They also worked to stop communal violence and protect minority rights. In 2012, Mulayam’s son, Akhilesh Yadav, became the Chief Minister. He was the youngest CM in the state’s history at that time. People saw him as a modern and tech-savvy leader. During his time, he tried to improve roads, bring metro projects, and give laptops to students. But even then, some people felt that law and order was still a big issue under SP rule. This made many voters look for a new option again.
The BJP Era: (2014-Present)
The turning point in Uttar Pradesh politics came in 2014, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi swept the Lok Sabha elections across the country. In UP, the BJP won 71 out of 80 seats. This massive victory showed that the people were ready for a change.
Unlike earlier times when the BJP was seen as a party of the upper castes and Hindutva supporters, by 2014 it had changed its strategy. It started reaching out to non-Yadav OBCs, non-Jatav Dalits, and even women voters. The party focused on schemes like free LPG connections, toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission, housing, and electricity connections. Narendra Modi’s image as a leader who worked for development attracted young voters and people who were tired of caste-based politics.
In 2017, the BJP won the UP Assembly elections with a record-breaking majority. It shocked many by choosing Yogi Adityanath, a saffron-clad monk and head priest of the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, as the Chief Minister. But Yogi Adityanath focused on law and order, quick infrastructure projects, and religious tourism. His tough image appealed to many voters who wanted a strict and stable government.
Since then, the BJP has continued to strengthen its hold. In 2022, it became the first party in over three decades to return to power in UP after completing a full term. The Congress, once the kingmaker, failed to even win enough seats to be recognised as a major player. The Samajwadi Party, though stronger than Congress and BSP, still fell short of forming a government. The BSP, which once ruled the state, was almost wiped out in terms of seats.
Today, the BJP controls both state and national politics in UP. The shift has been massive — from a time when Congress was unchallenged to an era where regional parties ruled through caste identities to the current period of BJP dominance using both Hindutva and a development narrative.
Read: The political history of Delhi: From Congress to AAP to BJP—What changed?
