Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s Rajya Sabha picks, including uncle Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance executive Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, are being seen as an early test for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. The nominations raise questions over the SP’s PDA strategy, its broader political outreach and a possible third Rajya Sabha candidate, despite the party’s numbers falling short of the winning quota.