Yogi's Meerut remark brings Hindutva into 2027 UP poll discourse

The brief

Context

At the BJP's Shakti Kendra Sanyojak Sammelan (West Region) in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said "Babar's followers" would be answered by "devotees of Bajrangbali", referring to historical invaders including Mahmud of Ghazni, Muhammad Ghori, Ibrahim Lodi, Babar and Aurangzeb. At the same event, BJP national president Nitin Nabin projected the Yogi government's development record and said the state had moved towards becoming an "Uttam Pradesh". The juxtaposition signals how the BJP may frame the run-up to the 2027 UP Assembly election — governance on one track, Hindutva and cultural identity on the other. The backdrop is the 2024 Lok Sabha result in UP, where the BJP won 33 of 80 seats against the Samajwadi Party's 37.

Key facts

• Yogi Adityanath, speaking at the BJP's Shakti Kendra Sanyojak Sammelan (West Region) in Meerut on Monday, said "Babar's followers" could be answered by the devotees of Bajrangbali.
• Yogi referred to historical invaders including Mahmud of Ghazni, Muhammad Ghori, Ibrahim Lodi, Babar and Aurangzeb, saying attempts had been made to equate India's cultural traditions with those figures.
• BJP national president Nitin Nabin, present at the same programme, praised Yogi and said Uttar Pradesh had moved towards becoming an "Uttam Pradesh".
• In the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won 33 of the state's 80 seats.
• The Samajwadi Party won 37 seats and the Congress six in UP in 2024.
• The Samajwadi Party's success was accompanied by the expansion of its PDA formulation — backward classes, Dalits and minorities.
• Political analyst Dr Shashikant Pandey, Head of Political Science at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, said identity politics is only one component of the UP contest.
• The BJP's grassroots machinery — booth-level workers, Shakti Kendras, mandals and district organisations — is expected to become more important as the 2027 election approaches.

Timeline

1. 2024 Lok Sabha electionIn Uttar Pradesh, BJP wins 33 of 80 seats, Samajwadi Party 37 and Congress six; result forces BJP to reassess its state strategy.
2. After 2024BJP focuses on strengthening outreach among different social groups while retaining its core base; SP consolidates its PDA formulation.
3. Monday (report first published September 21, 2026)Yogi Adityanath makes the "Babar's followers vs devotees of Bajrangbali" remark at the Shakti Kendra Sanyojak Sammelan in Meerut; Nitin Nabin pitches the "Uttam Pradesh" governance narrative.
4. 2027Uttar Pradesh Assembly election due; parties begin consolidating voter coalitions.

Who has a stake

• Yogi Adityanath, UP Chief Minister — His political communication combines governance with cultural-ideological themes; the Meerut speech keeps ideological mobilisation central to his appeal.
• Nitin Nabin, BJP national president — His presence signals the importance the party attaches to UP; he anchors the governance and development pitch within the organisational campaign.
• Bharatiya Janata Party — Must integrate its governance record with its ideological identity while expanding social reach after winning only 33 of 80 UP seats in 2024.
• Samajwadi Party — Won 37 UP seats in 2024 on the back of its PDA formulation of backward classes, Dalits and minorities; seeks to extend that coalition to 2027.
• Congress — Won six UP seats in 2024; part of the opposition emphasis on representation, welfare and employment.
• Voters of western Uttar Pradesh — Meerut and the western region have historically seen competitive contests and complex social alignments; their coalitions will be closely watched.

Why it matters

Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha and its assembly verdict shapes national politics, so how the BJP frames its 2027 pitch matters well beyond the state. The Meerut event shows two parallel narratives — "Uttam Pradesh" governance and "Babar versus Bajrangbali" ideology — being run together, while the opposition builds around social representation and welfare. The outcome will test whether identity messaging or delivery on caste representation, employment and welfare moves voters.