Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 24 (ANI): A poster depicting Samajwadi Party (SP) National President Akhilesh Yadav as 'Lord Krishna' was put up in Raebareli on Thursday, shortly ahead of his scheduled visit to the district aboard the party's 'PDA Rath'.
The large banner, put up along a main thoroughfare by SP Yuvjan Sabha state secretary Advocate Vishwas Dubey, features the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in the likeness of Lord Krishna adorned in a peacock-feather crown, traditional yellow garments, and playing a flute, while depicting the local party worker alongside as Sudama.
The banner prominently hails Yadav as the "PDA Mahanayak" and reads in Hindi, "Mere Madhav, aapka Sudama ki dharti Raebareli mein swagat hai!" (My Madhav, welcome to Sudama’s land, Raebareli!).
Reacting to the poster ahead of the SP chief's arrival, Harchandpur SP MLA Rahul Lodhi defended the mythological depiction and launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the ruling party of attempting to divide society.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party's mindset is certainly depraved; I know this, and I understand it well. I also realize that no matter how hard they try to implement their policies in society, they will never succeed. Their leaders specialize in inciting people and dividing them along caste lines; they will keep people fighting amongst themselves forever just to serve their own selfish interests. As for the hoardings, well, in the Dvapara Yuga, Sudama was a companion of Lord Krishna and stayed by his side; this tradition dates back to that era, so we are not bothered by it," Lodhi said.
The hoarding appeared just hours before Yadav arrived in Raebareli from Lucknow to visit Lodhi's residence over tea.
The visit comes in the wake of a recent clash between activists of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), during which Lodhi alleged he was assaulted by local police personnel—a charge the district police administration has denied.
The high-profile visit aboard the 'PDA Rath' is seen as part of the Samajwadi Party's broader mobilization drive across central Uttar Pradesh, focusing on its backward, Dalit, and minority (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) coalition ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections.
The Election Commission on September 22 announced the schedule for biennial elections and a bye-election to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
According to an official notification issued by the ECI, biennial elections will be conducted for 11 Rajya Sabha seats, comprising 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand, which will fall vacant in November upon the retirement of sitting members.
Simultaneously, a by-election will be conducted for a single casual vacancy in the Upper House from West Bengal, which arose following the resignation of TMC MP Rukmini Mallik.
The notification for the Rajya Sabha polls will be issued on September 29, and the last date for filing nominations has been fixed for October 6. Following the scrutiny of papers on October 7, the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures will be October 9. Polling will take place on October 16 between 9 am and 4 pm, and votes will be counted on the same day. (ANI)
"My Madhav, welcome to Sudama's land!": Banner depicting Akhilesh Yadav as Lord Krishna put up in Raebareli
