Lucknow: The political atmosphere has started heating up before the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The posters put up on roads and major intersections have intensified the political stir. On Friday, October 23, posters targeting Samajwadi Party (SP) and party chief Akhilesh Yadav were put up in about 15 districts of the state including Lucknow. In these posters, SP has been targeted by mentioning mafia, familyism, caste politics and old disputes. The posters contain political satire through rhyming slogans and pictures.
Why targeting Akhilesh Yadav through posters in Lucknow?
A big poster put up near National PG College Crossing in Lucknow has become a topic of discussion. In this, along with the picture of Akhilesh Yadav, pictures of mafia Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari have also been put. It is written on the poster, ‘Tea, Samosa, ras malai, all the mafia are our brothers.’ Through this slogan, the people who put up the poster have taken a dig at the SP leadership for its alleged closeness to the mafia.
This development has come to light at a time when SP chief Akhilesh Yadav met senior party leader Azam Khan on Thursday. With the appearance of such posters before the elections, the rhetoric in the politics of the state is likely to intensify.
In which districts were the posters seen?
The posters are not limited to Lucknow only. According to the news, such posters have been put up in about 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh including Ballia, Mau, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Basti, Hardoi and Sitapur. In these, pictures of Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari and Azam Khan have been used along with Akhilesh Yadav. The slogans written on the posters have tried to raise questions on SP’s rule and party politics. However, clear information as to who has put up the posters and which organisation or political party is behind it has not been revealed.
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: Posters targeting the Samajwadi Party and party Chief Akhilesh Yadav have been put up at the National PG College crossing. https://t.co/k8krysTTP1
— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2026
What allegations were made referring to the 2013 recruitment?
The posters also mentioned the Uttar Pradesh PCS recruitment exam of 2013. It has been claimed that out of 86 recruitments, 56 were of people of a particular caste. In this context, it is written on the poster, ‘Rasgulla and Rasmalai, one caste came to power.’ This claim has been made in the poster. Without its independent confirmation, it cannot be considered a proven fact. Apart from this, the posters have also taken a dig at SP regarding caste politics.
What was written about nepotism and Muzaffarnagar riots?
In the posters accusing SP of nepotism, it is written, ‘Dal, rice and pickle, party means a family.’ Through this slogan, questions have been raised on the leadership of the party and the political role of the family. Some posters also mention Akhilesh Yadav’s Iftar party and the Muzaffarnagar riots that took place during the tenure of the SP government. Slogans like ‘Riot, Iftar and Biryani, the real story of SP Raj’ have been written in these.
What is the political meaning of ‘poster war’ before elections?
This exercise of registering political protest through posters before the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh is considered important. Issues like SP rule, caste equations and familyism have been raised in these slogans. However, the political strategy behind it will become clear only after official information about who has put up the posters is revealed. At present, these posters have sparked a new discussion amid the election atmosphere in the state.
