Akhilesh blames BJP for ‘fake’ posters amid Congress-SP seat talks

• Akhilesh Yadav blamed the BJP for posters promoting a Congress claim to 200 seats, saying they were intended to divide the INDIA bloc

• He demanded action against municipal officials over the allegedly unauthorised displays and unpaid advertising fees

• Congress leaders reaffirmed the alliance’s unity as the two parties prepare for seat-sharing negotiations

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday blamed the BJP for putting up “fake” posters promoting a Congress claim to around 200 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, saying the campaign was designed to sow discord within the opposition INDIA bloc.

Yadav also demanded action against municipal officials for allegedly permitting the posters and hoardings without authorisation or payment of the prescribed advertising charges.

The displays appeared in Lucknow and other districts, featuring photographs of Rahul Gandhi and local leaders alongside the slogan, “200 seat haq hai hamara, UP ko hai Rahul Gandhi par bharosa” — asserting a right to 200 seats and expressing confidence in Gandhi.

The controversy comes as the Congress and SP begin negotiations over seat-sharing for next year’s assembly elections. The Congress has submitted a preliminary list of constituencies it wants considered, although sources said sections of the SP remain unconvinced that its electoral strength warrants such a sizeable allocation.

In a post on X, Yadav claimed the BJP was troubled by the opposition alliance and was using the posters to create friction between its partners. He said the absence of permissions and fee payments warranted scrutiny, suggesting that bypassing the payment process could help conceal the identities of those responsible.

The SP chief sought the suspension of municipal officials who had failed to act against the displays, saying unpaid charges had deprived local bodies of revenue.

He added that his party was compiling a date-wise record of such incidents and the officials concerned. If elected, he said, an SP-led PDA government would act against officials involved in corruption and bring their conduct under examination by the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Economic Offences Wing.

PDA is Yadav’s formulation for an alliance of Pichhde, or backward classes, Dalits and Alpsankhyak, or minorities.

Congress leaders, meanwhile, reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance. The party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge, Rajendra Pal Gautam, said its partnership with the SP rested on a shared commitment to social justice, democracy and the Constitution.

Writing on X, Gautam said attempts by the BJP to spread confusion or engineer divisions would fail. “The INDIA bloc is united, and it will remain united,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Aradhana Misra Mona also criticised those behind the poster campaign. In a Hindi post on X, she said such tactics reflected anxiety over the opposition’s strength and described the alliance as a shared struggle to defend constitutional and democratic principles.

The Congress formally opened seat-sharing discussions with the SP earlier this week, submitting a list of more than 175 constituencies where it believes it could perform effectively as an alliance partner.

Gautam had told PTI that the proposal covered between 175 and 200 seats, with detailed discussions between the parties expected to follow. His remarks indicated that the initial list was open to negotiation for the state’s 403 assembly constituencies.

The Congress’ expectations face questions over its prolonged electoral decline in Uttar Pradesh, where it last held power in 1989. Contesting independently in 2022, it won only two assembly seats, down from seven in 2017.

Its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, however, has encouraged party leaders. Fighting alongside the SP, the Congress secured six seats, with its ally winning 37 and the BJP finishing with 33. Congress leaders see that result as a basis for rebuilding the party’s presence ahead of the assembly contest.

With PTI inputs