Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday sharpened his attack on the ruling BJP, warning that if elections in Uttar Pradesh are manipulated, people could rise in protest just as they have in neighbouring Nepal after a political upheaval.
At an event organised at the SP headquarters to honour families of farmers who lost their lives during the farmers’ agitation, Yadav appeared in a red turban, sporting a Sardar look. “The red turban is a symbol of happiness. That happiness is about to return, because a Samajwadi government is going to be formed,” he said.
Drawing parallels with Nepal, where large-scale demonstrations have broken out following allegations of vote rigging and a political coup, Yadav said Uttar Pradesh could face similar unrest if free and fair elections are compromised. “Here Baba has captured everything. The Election Commission should not become a jugad commission for the BJP,” he remarked, taking a direct swipe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
He further alleged that during the Ayodhya assembly polls, nearly 5,000 outsiders were brought in to influence the outcome. “If such theft of votes continues, what you are seeing in Nepal today could be repeated in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow,” Yadav warned.
The former Chief Minister’s remarks come as the state gears up for crucial by-elections that are expected to test the strength of the SP-BJP rivalry. With the Ram temple issue dominating political discourse and the BJP projecting development as its central plank, Yadav’s comments indicate that the SP will sharpen its campaign around questions of democracy, fairness, and farmer issues.
Political observers say his reference to Nepal is a calculated move to highlight public anger against alleged electoral manipulation and to mobilise his party’s cadre ahead of the polls.
