Akhilesh Yadav spearheads INDIA's rise in UP, outperforms BJP in key seats

BjP loses from Faizabad, the seat of Ayodhya Ram Temple

- BISWAJEET BANERJEE

• CASTE DYNAMICS ECLIPSE BJP'S RAM MANDIR NARRATIVE

The electoral outcomes in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have unfolded a seismic shift in the state’s political fabric as Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) made substantial gains against the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The SP’s lead in 37 constituencies challenged the BJP’s dominance, which was ahead in 33 seats, defying the BJP’s earlier assertions of a sweeping victory in the state represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Akhilesh Yadav spearheaded the Opposition’s charge, synergizing efforts with allies like Congress, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and Arvind Kejriwal’s party. This election marked the first since the passing of SP’s stalwart Mulayam Singh Yadav, with Akhilesh ensuring the party surpassed its 2004 seat count.

Despite being labelled “Do ladko ki jodi” by Modi in reference to his partnership with Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh’s strategic focus on the PDA coalition—comprising backward classes, Dalits, and minorities—proved effective.

The SP even led in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, a significant feat given the prominence of the Ram Temple issue in Ayodhya during the BJP’s campaign.

The SP’s electoral strategy included alliances with the INDIA bloc, allotting the Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat to the TMC. Akhilesh’s campaign rhetoric highlighted the BJP’s alleged authoritarian actions, such as the imprisonment of Arvind Kejriwal and JMM’s Hemant Soren, while commending the efforts of Lalu Prasad and Tejaswi Yadav in Bihar.