Akhilesh Yadav Challenges CM Yogi To Contest UP Polls From Ayodhya, Announces Ram Temple Visit

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday challenged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to contest the upcoming assembly elections from Ayodhya and also said he would soon visit the Ram temple for darshan with party leaders.

Yadav was addressing a gathering at a Shrimad Bhagwat Katha here organised by SP leader and the party's Ayodhya candidate Tej Narayan Pandey alias Pawan Pandey.

"Ever since we announced our candidate, the BJP has been conducting survey after survey, and it is falling behind in every survey. We are hearing that they have not been able to find a new candidate for Ayodhya," Yadav claimed.

"If the chief minister, who makes tall claims, is so confident, he should contest the election from Ayodhya himself and prove it," he added.

Later, responding to a question from reporters, he said, "I had earlier resolved that after the completion of the Kedareshwar Dham (a temple in Etawah), I would ask my party colleague Pawan Pandey to fix a date and we would all visit the Ram temple for darshan."

Ruling party leaders have often targeted Yadav, alleging he has not offered prayers at the Ram temple despite invitations.

They have also claimed that this raises questions over Yadav's devotion to Hinduism and he was appeasing Muslims.

At the event, Yadav said "the one" who had made the hollow promise of ensuring that truth will come out in the Ram temple donation issue (a reference to Adityanath's assurance of an investigation) will be exposed by the people this time.

"This time, not just Ayodhya but the people of the entire state will not spare those who have stolen dharm-dhan (religious donations)," the former CM said.

"Those who said that they would get into the bottom of things within 15 days, if they are so confident, Ayodhya is an open field for them (to contest election)," he added.

Yadav's remarks came amid preparations for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, expected to be held early next year. Ayodhya seats hold significance as Ram Temple has remained a focal point of BJP's politics since decades.

Adityanath currently represents Gorakhpur Urban seat in the assembly.

The SP chief spent around two hours at the religious congregation, where he offered prayers and listened to discourses on the life and teachings of Lord Krishna before addressing the gathering.

The eight-day "Shrimad Bhagwat Katha Gyan Yagya" was organised by senior SP leader Pandey, who is a former Ayodhya MLA. The programme began last Friday and featured daily discourses on the life and times of Lord Krishna by Hindu religious leaders.

Yadav also said the message of the Bhagwat Katha was that everyone was equal and that people should live with love and without discrimination.Citing the friendship between Sudama and Lord Krishna, he linked the message to the SP's PDA (Picchde, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) formulation.

Yadav also said that if voted to power, the SP would develop Ayodhya at a global level.

He described Ayodhya as a "pilgrimage centre" rather than merely a "tourist destination" and said its development should be undertaken keeping its religious significance in mind.

Yadav also announced that an SP government would provide women Rs 40,000 annually. He also assured that Ayodhya would be developed in such a manner that locals also benefit from it.

Pandey had won the Ayodhya assembly seat against BJP's Lallu Singh in 2012 when SP had formed a majority government in Uttar Pradesh and Yadav became chief minister.

The SP also currently holds the Faizabad (Ayodhya) Lok Sabha seat.

Awadhesh Prasad is the first Dalit candidate to win Lok Sabha seat (Ayodhya) in 2024, defeating Lallu Singh, who was contesting for Parliament at that time.

This victory was seen as a shot in the arm for SP against the BJP, whose poll plank included the construction of the Ram Temple here.