With the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat elections slated for 2026, the Congress party has announced its decision to contest independently, signaling a strategic shift in its approach to regain lost ground in the state. This decision, made after a series of high-level meetings and internal deliberations, emphasizes the party's intent to revitalize its organizational structure and reconnect with grassroots voters.
The announcement follows a week-long organizational revitalization exercise, where leaders and workers expressed the sentiment that the party should contest the elections with its full strength. Congress aims to capitalize on perceived anti-incumbency sentiments and highlight the government's shortcomings to the public. The party views the Panchayat elections as the first major step in its resurgence plan for Uttar Pradesh.
Several leaders emphasized that the decision regarding alliances should be made well in advance to avoid any organizational confusion. While the party is open to a "respectful and suitable alliance" under the INDIA bloc for the 2027 assembly polls, the focus for the 2026 Panchayat elections remains on contesting independently.
To prepare for the polls, Congress is undertaking a comprehensive "Sangathan Srijan" (organization building) campaign across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. This campaign aims to rebuild the party structure at five levels: state, district, block, mandal, and booth. The party has directed its district-level leaders to intensify preparations, recognizing the Panchayat elections as a crucial test of the party's strength at the grassroots. Trained professionals are overseeing the implementation of a 100-day program designed to increase the party's rural penetration in Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the Panchayati Raj Department has officially started preparations for the three-tier Panchayat elections. These elections will be held to elect representatives for Gram Panchayats, Kshetra Panchayats, and Zila Panchayats. The tenure of the current representatives is set to end between May and July 2026.
The government has issued directives for the delimitation of village panchayats, which is necessary due to the merger of numerous villages into urban local bodies since the last elections in 2021. This restructuring is being carried out under the UP Panchayat Raj Act, 1947, with district magistrates tasked to finalize proposals. The number of village panchayats is expected to decrease following the delimitation.
However, the elections may face delays due to the pending formation of a dedicated commission for Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation. The Supreme Court has ruled that OBC reservation cannot be implemented without the commission's report on the socio-economic and political status of OBCs in the state.
In addition, the State Election Commission (SEC) is working to address concerns about the credibility of voter lists, as audits have revealed duplicate entries. The commission has ordered a comprehensive revision exercise to remove these duplicate names and ensure a fair and transparent election. The SEC has also revised the expenditure limits for candidates to ensure transparency and control over election-related spending. Gram Pradhan candidates can now spend up to ₹1.25 lakh, while District Panchayat members have a ceiling of ₹2.5 lakh, and District Panchayat Chairpersons have a limit of ₹7 lakh.
