Posters targeting Akhilesh Yadav and SP revive the mafia narrative ahead of UP polls.
Campaign features names of Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari and Azam Khan.
BJP has repeatedly raised law and order issues against previous SP governments.
Ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, a fresh political poster campaign have intensified the political attack on Samajwadi Party, reigniting the allegations over party's association with 'mafias' and law and order failure during their tenure before 2017.
Posters SP's chief Akhilesh Yadav appeared in Lucknow and several other districts, featuring photographs of figures such as Azam Khan, Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari.
The campaign has added a new layer to the political contest in Uttar Pradesh, where law and order has remained a key issue in elections. The BJP has repeatedly attacked the SP over the issue and clamed that they have resolved the issue.
‘One District, One Mafia’ Posters Target SP
The posters, reportedly put up across regions including Awadh, Purvanchal, western Uttar Pradesh, Rohilkhand and Bundelkhand, carry the slogan:
“Akhilesh ke mafia, mafia ke Akhilesh”
(“Akhilesh’s mafias, mafias of Akhilesh”).
The campaign uses the phrase “One District, One Mafia” and lists names region-wise, alleging that several criminal figures had influence during the SP government’s tenure.
Among the names mentioned are Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari, Azam Khan, Yaqoob Qureshi and Anil Dujana, among others.
One poster carries the claim: “Azam, Atiq and Mukhtar — they were the ones who ran the government.”
The allegations made through the posters have not been independently verified.
Posters Show Up in Different Regions
The posters divide alleged mafia figures according to different parts of Uttar Pradesh.
The Awadh region poster mentions names including Atiq Ahmed, Azam Khan, Mukhtar Ansari, Gulshan Yadav, Mitrasen Yadav and Rizwan Zaheer.
The campaign also refers to allegations involving Nawab Singh Yadav, described in the posters as an Akhilesh Yadav aide, along with references to Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in an arson case, and Deep Narayan Yadav, who has been accused in a criminal case.
In western Uttar Pradesh, the posters mention figures such as Yaqoob Qureshi, Anil Dujana, DP Yadav, Sanjeev Jeeva and Mukeem Kala. The campaign also refers to allegations surrounding the Kairana migration issue and cases involving other accused individuals.
For Purvanchal, names including Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari, Umakant Yadav, Ramakant Yadav and Munna Bajrangi have been featured.
BJP’s Law And Order Narrative
The poster campaign reflects an issue repeatedly raised by the BJP against the Samajwadi Party — that of alleged criminal influence during its previous government.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has frequently targeted the SP over law and order during its tenure and accused the party of providing protection to mafias.
Addressing the issue earlier this year, Yogi Adityanath said, “A parallel mafia rule operated across the state. Today, the mafia has been crushed, wiped out completely. For those who threaten the safety of daughters and traders, there are only two places: either jail or hell; there is no third option.”
The chief minister has also contrasted his government’s slogan of “one district, one medical college” with what he described as the earlier situation of “one district, one mafia.”
He highlighted the establishment of medical colleges in Deoria and Kushinagar while making the comparison.
A Key Election Issue
The resurfacing of the mafia issue comes as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.
For the BJP, law and order has been a central theme in its criticism of previous governments. The party has often highlighted action against organised crime as part of its governance narrative.
The SP, meanwhile, has rejected the BJP claims and alleged that the issue of mafia's still prevalent in Uttar Pradesh, despite the CM's claims.
"The Chief Minister kept claiming that mafia and criminals have left Uttar Pradesh; but here, the opposite has happened--gangsters and thugs from other states have come to UP, firing dozens of rounds and committing murders," Akhilesh Yadav had said earlier this year.
The latest poster campaign indicates that allegations around crime, political influence and governance are likely to remain part of the political discourse in Uttar Pradesh as parties prepare for the upcoming election.
