Akhilesh Shrugs Off Split Speculation
A fresh political confrontation erupted in Uttar Pradesh after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav responded to claims by state minister Om Prakash Rajbhar that a major political realignment was brewing within the SP.
Rather than directly addressing the allegation, Akhilesh chose sarcasm to dismiss the speculation and questioned the intent behind the repeated predictions about his party’s future.
Reacting to Rajbhar’s remarks, Akhilesh Yadav said:
“Dana aur gana kab tak chalega yeh afsana.”
The comment was widely interpreted as a taunt aimed at Rajbhar and those claiming that the Samajwadi Party was heading towards internal turmoil.
Rajeev Rai Launches Counterattack
The Samajwadi Party also deployed its senior leaders to counter Rajbhar’s claims.
SP MP Rajeev Rai ridiculed the minister’s statements and accused him of making attention-grabbing remarks without substance.
“I had said in the Lok Sabha elections of Ghosi that there is a disease of ‘bakbak-itis’. Now if there is no cure for it, then are we responsible for that? Why do you take all three of them so seriously? This disease also spreads pollution. Don’t ask,” Rai remarked.
His sharp comments added another layer to the ongoing war of words between the opposition party and BJP allies.
SP Shifts Focus to 2027 Battle
While rejecting the split narrative, Akhilesh Yadav simultaneously signalled that the Samajwadi Party was turning its attention towards the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The former Chief Minister announced that Gorakhpur would become a key political battleground for the party in the coming years.
“This time we will work to bring the BJP to a zero in Gorakhpur,” Akhilesh declared.
He further added:
“We have resolved to change the results in Gorakhpur. Very soon, the party organisation will decide when to hold a party meeting in Gorakhpur.”
The statement is being viewed as a direct challenge to the BJP’s stronghold in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh Targets Education Policies
The SP chief accused the state government of weakening public education and alleged that large numbers of schools had been shut over the past decade.
“During the BJP’s ten-year tenure, primary schools have been systematically shut down in Gorakhpur, with the highest number of closures occurring in that region. The Chief Minister has closed 500 primary schools in Gorakhpur alone and has been responsible for snatching away 1,500 government jobs. While there were over 2,000 primary schools in 2017, only a handful remain today,” he claimed.
Law and Order Comes Under Fire
Akhilesh also alleged that law and order and public healthcare had deteriorated significantly under the current administration.
“Uttar Pradesh now ranks first in crime, with Gorakhpur experiencing the highest rates. Despite the Chief Minister spending most of his time there, atrocities against Dalits in Gorakhpur are at an all-time high. The number of Primary Health Centers has dwindled to the point where they exist in name only, as the government is intentionally taking away jobs and weakening public services to force people toward private hospitals,” he alleged.
‘Gorakh Dhandha’ Remark Sparks Political Heat
Escalating his attack further, the SP president accused the government of failing even in the Chief Minister’s home turf.
“The Chief Minister is effectively running a ‘Gorakh dhandha’ in his own district. Even the infrastructure is being misrepresented, as a four-lane road should not be called an expressway—it should be at least six lanes—and the Gorakhpur Link Expressway is currently in a pathetic state. If the Chief Minister cannot manage his own home constituency, the condition of the rest of the state is easily imaginable,” he said.
Fresh Allegations Over Governance and Land Issues
Akhilesh did not stop there and launched a broader attack on governance, electoral practices and land-related decisions.
“In the BJP, religion has become synonymous with money. There was blatant dishonesty in the Kundarki assembly elections, and the refusal to provide CCTV footage was a cover-up; if released, the footage would expose the corruption and the theft of religious donations and offerings,” he alleged.
Raising concerns over land matters, he added:
“In Ayodhya, lands were snatched from the people, leaving farmers and merchants to weep in despair. Now, money is being stashed away while the government encroaches upon public ponds.”
