Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh ) [India], November 15 : Amid the ongoing political sparring over Blhar election results and allegations of institutional bias, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has intensified his criticism of the ruling dispensation, asserting that opposition voices raising concerns about the electoral process cannot be dismissed.
Yadav, taking aim at the government, said that in the "race to compete with the Lucknow establishment," some political figures were attempting to "rename institutions" and project themselves as the architects of development while simultaneously "undermining democratic transparency."
His remarks came in response to social-media discussions and political statements referring to the Election Commission in a sarcastic tone, suggesting that it had been reduced to an arm of the ruling party.
Without taking names, the SP chief alleged that those who "failed to secure people's trust in the last Uttar Pradesh elections" were already preparing narratives for future victories, despite being "on the sidelines" in the current political landscape.
In a pointed political slogan aimed at energising party workers, Yadav, in a post on X, said: "Looks like someone's learned to rename things, competing with Lucknow's renaming spree! They're calling the Election Commission 'Vikas' (Development) and claiming it's the reason for their impending win. Those who lost in UP's last election are now claiming they'll win next time, saying, 'We defeated them in '24, we'll remove them in '27 and form our own PDA government!'"
This is not the first time he has targeted the Election Commission. Earlier at a rally, the SP chief said, "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!"
Political observers say Yadav's renewed rhetoric is aimed at consolidating his core voter base while positioning the SP as the principal challenger in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Nitish Kumar registered a landslide victory in the Bihar polls. The NDA has secured 202 seats out of 243, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, winning 89 seats.
NDA: BJP: 89 seats, JD(U): 85 seats, LJP (RV): 19 seats, HAM (S): 5 seats and RLM: 4 seats, while Mahagathbandhan: RJD: 25 seats, INC: 6 seats, CPI(ML)(L): 2 seats, CPI(M): 1 seat
IIP won 1 seat and AIMIM won 5 seats. The NDA's victory is attributed to Nitish Kumar's welfare schemes, including the Mahila Rozgar Yojana, which provided ₹10,000 to 1.25 crore women. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the victory as a win for good governance and development.,
The Congress party's performance was disappointing, with Rahul Gandhi calling the results "truly surprising" and attributing the loss to "unfair election practices."