Poster War In UP: Akhilesh’s Rule Dubbed ‘Lyari Raj’, Yogi Projected As ‘Dhurandar’

Lucknow: A fresh political poster war has erupted in Uttar Pradesh, with hoardings across Lucknow and several districts portraying Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure as “Lyari Raj” while projecting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a decisive “Dhurandar” leader.

The posters, put up under the banner of ‘Youth Against Mafia’, have come up at prominent intersections in the state capital, including areas near the chief minister’s residence. They depict Akhilesh Yadav in the style of a bandit character from the film narrative, with captions suggesting lawlessness during the Samajwadi Party regime. In contrast, Yogi Adityanath is shown performing religious rituals, accompanied by messaging that highlights governance and action against crime.

The hoardings also reference incidents of communal violence during the SP government in Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Shamli, attempting to reinforce the comparison with “Lyari Raj”. Alongside the chief minister’s image, newspaper clippings related to the deaths of gangsters such as Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari have been used to underline the current government’s crackdown on mafia networks.

The campaign is not limited to Lucknow. Similar posters have surfaced in Malihabad, Sitapur, Hardoi, Jaunpur, Barabanki and Azamgarh, as well as Noida, Pratapgarh, Amethi and Gonda, indicating a wider coordinated outreach.

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Samajwadi Party workers have reacted strongly, tearing down posters at several locations. The party also mounted a counterattack, accusing the ruling BJP of running a propaganda campaign.

SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said that claims around mafia links were misleading and alleged that records would show connections of figures like Atiq Ahmed with BJP leaders. He also questioned the law and order situation under the present government, claiming that even court premises were not fully secure.

The poster war has added a fresh edge to the political contest in Uttar Pradesh, with both sides sharpening narratives in the run-up to future electoral battles.