Who is Nageshwar Rao? Ex-CBI chief’s Sarvajan Sanatan Party seeks candidates for all 403 seats for UP Polls 2027
Former interim CBI chief M Nageshwar Rao, who officially entered the political arena with the Sarvajan Sanatan Party (SSP), had initiated preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. His newly launched political outfit has invited applications from prospective candidates across all 403 constituencies in the state.
Taking to X to announce the first phase of candidate selection, the retired IPS officer has set the stage for the party’s electoral debut as established political factions begin positioning themselves for the high-stakes elections scheduled for early next year.
Who is M Nageshwar Rao?
A Hyderabad-based retired IPS officer, M Nageshwar Rao had a prominent career in law enforcement, serving as the additional director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and holding the interim charge of the agency’s director’s office.
He formally entered active politics in October 2026, assuming the role of national president of the Sarvajan Sanatan Party in Varanasi.
Rao’s candidate selection and eligibility
Rao’s SSP has laid out specific guidelines for those seeking to contest the upcoming polls.
According to the party’s announcement:
- Applicants must be Indian citizens, registered voters in a UP Assembly constituency
- At least 25 years old by the date of scrutiny of nomination papers.
- Applicants must accept and commit to working in accordance with the SSP’s ideology, objectives, and policies.
Clarifying the two-step screening process, Rao said, “This application is solely for preliminary screening in the first phase. Applicants found preliminarily suitable will be asked to provide detailed information and the required documents in the second phase.”
He also emphasised that merely applying does not guarantee a party ticket.
“Submitting an application does not confer any right or assurance of being selected as the party’s candidate or receiving the party’s ticket. The final decision on candidate selection will be made by the party’s authorised leadership,” he noted.
Civilisational alternative to identity politics
Explaining his pivot from bureaucracy to electoral politics, Rao highlighted the need for an alternative to politics based on social divisions. He has positioned the SSP as a movement seeking to harmonise modern development with India’s cultural and civilisational traditions.
“The alternative is not another form of identity politics, but a politics rooted in Bharat’s civilisational ethos, constitutional democracy, and the welfare and dignity of every citizen,” Rao explained.
Outlining the party’s broader vision, he added, “We do not seek to recreate the past. We seek to take the best of what Bharat has inherited, renew it for the present, enrich it through knowledge and innovation, and transmit it strengthened to future generations.”
UP electoral battlefield
The Sarvajan Sanatan Party is entering a fiercely competitive political landscape. Uttar Pradesh is currently governed by the BJP under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In the 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP secured a second consecutive term by winning 255 of the 403 seats, with its allies Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the NISHAD Party adding 12 and six seats, respectively, taking the ruling alliance’s tally to 273.
The Samajwadi Party remains the principal Opposition, having won 111 seats in 2022, backed by another 14 from its allies. In comparison, the Congress secured two seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party managed just one.
