Akhilesh Yadav Absent from SP Poster; Shivpal Credited for MLC Win

A Samajwadi Party poster in Lucknow has stirred political discussion after crediting Shivpal Yadav for the party's gains in the recent Uttar Pradesh MLC elections. The poster, displayed on Friday, did not feature Akhilesh Yadav, the party's president, which has become a focal point of debate.

The poster, put up by a party worker, offered heartfelt congratulations for a "record victory" in the Legislative Council polls. It carried the slogan "Chacha hain to SP hai," referring to Shivpal Yadav, the uncle of Akhilesh Yadav. There was no mention of Akhilesh Yadav anywhere on the poster.

In the recent Council elections, the Samajwadi Party won five of the 11 seats it contested, while the Bharatiya Janata Party took the other six. The BJP kept its pre-election number of seats. The SP improved its standing by adding two seats.

The party described the outcome as an indicator of public opinion ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, saying the results reflected what could be expected in future state polls.

The Varanasi result stood out. The Samajwadi Party won both the teachers' and graduates' constituencies there, drawing particular attention because Varanasi is the Lok Sabha seat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand, speaking to reporters, argued that the BJP faced hurdles in ballot-paper elections. He further alleged that the ruling party tried to influence the process in some places.

On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak dismissed these claims, saying the Samajwadi Party should not be living in an illusion. He maintained that the people of Uttar Pradesh were with the BJP and predicted a landslide victory for the party in 2027.