Ayodhya: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, during his visit to the holy city on Thursday, issued a direct challenge to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to contest the upcoming UP Assembly elections from Ayodhya.
Akhilesh Yadav’s dare to the Chief Minister ignites public interest because the BJP, having championed the cause of the Ram Mandir movement, was vanquished by the SP candidate in the previous elections.
The SP chief, who refrained from visiting the Ram Temple despite his third trip to the holy city since its inauguration in 2024, said that the BJP was struggling to find a candidate in Ayodhya and its “internal surveys are hinting at another rout”.
“If the Chief Minister who makes tall claims and remains so confident, he should contest the election from Ayodhya,” the SP leader mockingly said, eliciting cheers from the supporters.
“Ever since we announced our candidate for Ayodhya, the BJP has been conducting survey after survey. In every single survey, it is falling behind. There is growing buzz that the party is unable to even find a suitable candidate for Ayodhya,” he further said, adding that their ‘false prestige’ will be stripped away.
Reiterating the party’s poll pledge, Akhilesh Yadav said that womenfolk in the state, including mothers and sisters, will be provided with Rs 40,000 monetary assistance every year, and this will bring “real change” in their lives.
Outlining the party’s plans for reviving Ayodhya’s glory and identity, he said that when the socialist government is formed in the state, it will work to accelerate development, bringing international recognition to the city, the birthplace of Lord Ram.
“In the coming times, when a socialist government will be in power, there will be no discrimination against you, nor will your shop or house be demolished,” he said, in a direct reference to the “bulldozer justice” under the incumbent Yogi Adityanath government.
Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, is bracing for high-stakes Assembly elections early next year, and the ruling as well as the Opposition parties have already started outreach and mass mobilisation programs to woo the electorate.
(IANS)
