Lucknow: Amid rising political tension over the Bihar election results and growing allegations of institutional bias, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has sharpened his criticism against the ruling establishment, saying that opposition voices questioning the electoral process should not be dismissed or mocked. His remarks come at a time when debates over the credibility of the Election Commission have gained momentum across social media and political circles.
Speaking in a series of posts and public statements, Yadav accused certain political leaders of trying to outdo each other in aligning with what he described as the “Lucknow establishment,” suggesting that renaming institutions and claiming ownership over development had become a new strategy to gain political mileage. He argued that such efforts not only distort narratives but also weaken democratic transparency.
Responding indirectly to sarcastic commentary referring to the Election Commission, Yadav said that attempts to portray the poll body as an instrument of the ruling party were part of a growing trend that needed to be challenged. Without naming individuals, he pointed out that some leaders who had failed to win public trust in the previous Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections were now “creating stories of future victories” despite being politically sidelined in the present landscape.
In a pointed message aimed at rallying his party workers, Yadav wrote on X, “Looks like someone’s learned to rename things, competing with Lucknow’s renaming spree! They’re calling the Election Commission ‘Vikas’ and claiming it’s the reason for their impending win. Those who lost in UP’s last election are now saying they’ll win next time, claiming, ‘We defeated them in ’24, we’ll remove them in ’27 and form our PDA government!’”
This followed his remarks at a recent rally where he reiterated the same message. “Fellow citizens, they’ve mastered the art of renaming. First it was Faizabad, now it’s the Election Commission — ‘Vikas’! But we know the truth. You can’t fool the people. We defeated them in ’24, and we’ll remove them in ’27, forming a PDA government that truly represents our state’s diversity,” Yadav declared, drawing loud reactions from the crowd.
