Mahan Dal

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Mahan Dal, meaning Great Party, is an Indian political party founded in 2008 by Keshav Dev Maurya. It is based in Uttar Pradesh, with its headquarters in Faridabad, Haryana. The party aims to represent several OBC communities—Mauryas, Shakyas, Kushwahas, Sainis and Kambojs—and has influence in Rohilkhand and western Uttar Pradesh, though it has not won elections on its own yet.

In 2022, Mahan Dal allied with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, planning to contest eight seats under the SP symbol. The party has had past ties with the Congress: it contested with Congress in 2012 and 2014. In 2017 there were talks of a broader alliance with SP and Congress, but the merger proposal was rejected by Maurya.

Mahan Dal also joined the United Progressive Alliance led by Congress at one point. In western UP, the party contested three Lok Sabha seats—Badaun, Nagina and Etah—which all lost, while Rashtriya Lok Dal fought eight seats under a pact with Congress.

As part of newer alignments, Mahan Dal is part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) since 2023. Congress leaders have said they will fight for inclusive representation and will work as allies with Mahan Dal.