SP will form govt in UP in 2027, will have Congress with us: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday struck a confident note about his party’s prospects in Uttar Pradesh, asserting that the Samajwadi Party will return to power after next year’s assembly elections and that the Opposition INDIA bloc will remain united.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a wedding function in Rewari, Yadav said the alliance with the Indian National Congress would continue. “INDIA bloc will remain, we will have Congress with us,” he said, adding that seat-sharing would be guided by “winnability” rather than rigid quotas. “With us, the issue is not about the number of seats; it's about winnability. Those who can win will get the ticket,” he noted.

Targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Yadav claimed the party was headed for defeat in the ongoing round of elections, including in West Bengal. “It is natural that the one who loses in the House also loses outside,” he remarked, drawing a link between parliamentary setbacks and electoral fortunes on the ground.

Earlier in the day, addressing party workers at the SP headquarters in Lucknow, Yadav argued that the BJP-led NDA had “no moral right” to remain in power at the Centre after failing to pass a Constitution amendment bill related to the women’s reservation law in the Lok Sabha. He alleged that the government rushed to notify an earlier version of the bill when it realised it lacked the numbers. “BJP calls the opposition anti-women. In reality, BJP is anti-women,” he said, adding that the party’s commitment to women’s empowerment stood “exposed.”

On defence matters, Yadav reiterated his support for the creation of an Ahir regiment in the Indian Army, while also suggesting the formation of a Gujarat regiment to encourage greater participation from the state. “It will motivate and inspire people to join the armed forces,” he said.

Projecting unity within the Opposition, Yadav said the upcoming elections will be a decisive test for the BJP and expressed confidence that voters will deliver a verdict against the ruling party.

With PTI inputs