In a bid to jolt the party cadres ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had paid a visit to Balia, Varanasi and Ghazipur and with full intention targeted on the issue of caste census which the party believes can unite the Other Backward Castes (OBC) and SC voters in its favour. During the recent Ramcharitmanas controversy, the party tried to shift the emphasize on caste, with the SP president alleging that BJP considers him a Shudra (untouchable). While the party has a target on all 80 seats in UP, it is also an indication that a non-BJP, non-Congress front is keeping its options open for a pre-poll alliance on weak seats with other parties.