Rahul Gandhi draws up 2027 UP strategy as Congress eyes state revival

For Rahul Gandhi, the road to 2027 is not just about winning seats. It is about building a young voter base, strengthening the Congress' own organisation and ensuring that its alliance with the SP does not become a liability before the electoral battle begins.Rahul Gandhi aims to strengthen Congress' position in the politically crucial state and prepare for future Lok Sabha elections. (Photo: PTI)With the crucial 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections drawing closer, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is working on a three-layered strategy to expand the Congress' footprint in the politically crucial state: build a new youth constituency, revive the party's organisational machinery and secure the Samajwadi Party alliance before seat-sharing negotiations trigger friction.BID TO TURN STUDENT OUTREACH INTO VOTES Rahul Gandhi is set to address the third edition of his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Prayagraj, a choice the Congress sees as significant given the city's historical and emotional association with the Gandhi family.A party insider said Prayagraj was chosen over other cities partly because of its deep connection with the Nehru-Gandhi family. Anand Bhawan, the ancestral home of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, served as a Congress office during the freedom struggle and was later donated to the Indian government by Indira Gandhi in 1970.Within the Congress, there is a growing belief that Rahul Gandhi's increasingly visible interventions on student issues, both inside Parliament and on the streets, are helping the party connect with Gen Z and young voters. According to internal party feedback, a significant number of young people from Uttar Pradesh participated in the student protests at Jantar Mantar. This is emerging as a constituency Rahul Gandhi could seek to bring into the Congress fold ahead of the 2027 polls.SEAL SEAT DEAL WITH SP BEFORE FRICTIONCongress leaders in Uttar Pradesh are also pushing for an early closure of the party's seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party. Party insiders told India Today that Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh, during a meeting convened by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi at 10 Janpath on Tuesday, urged the leadership to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party at the earliest. The meeting was attended by all six Lok Sabha MPs from the state, along with Rajya Sabha MPs Imran Pratapgarhi, Pramod Tiwari and Rajiv Shukla."Parliament is ending on August 13. By August 20, a coordination committee should be announced between the SP and Congress so that seat-sharing talks can conclude in time. Any further delay will only harm Congress' electoral prospects in Uttar Pradesh," one of the MPs who attended the meeting told India Today.While Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav share a good rapport, leaders in the second rung of both parties have been publicly sparring over the seat-sharing formula. The Congress leadership, meanwhile, has realised that any delay could fuel confusion and bitterness within the alliance, particularly with leaders from both sides making competing statements. REBUILD CONGRESS WITHOUT ALLIANCE CRUTCHESThe Congress is simultaneously attempting to rebuild its own organisational structure in Uttar Pradesh rather than remain dependent on the SP's machinery.Party leaders believe that a strong organisation in Uttar Pradesh is essential not only for the 2027 Assembly polls but also for the Congress' larger electoral ambitions ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.In a recent organisational rejig, the Congress appointed former AAP Delhi minister and prominent Ambedkarite leader Rajinder Pal Gautam as its Uttar Pradesh in-charge. According to a party source, Gautam has been tasked with expanding the Congress' outreach among Dalit voters, particularly as the Bahujan Samaj Party and Mayawati's electoral influence have weakened over successive Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.The party has also overhauled its team of AICC secretaries in Uttar Pradesh. Pradeep Narwal, Dheeraj Gurjar and Tauqir Alam, who were seen as close to Priyanka Gandhi, have been replaced by Abhishek Dutt, Kunal Chaudhary, Jagdish Chandra Jangid, Sanjeev Arya, Varun Chaudhary and Abdul Hannan.A section of Congress leaders believes the overhaul had been pending for some time and could inject fresh energy into the party's organisational machinery.The Congress sees Uttar Pradesh as a key test of whether it can convert the gains of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections into a sustained political presence. Leaders believe that reviving the party's independent organisational base in the state could strengthen its bargaining position within the INDIA bloc while also giving it a stronger platform for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.- EndsPublished By: Shipra ParasharPublished On: Aug 8, 2026 11:57 IST