In this episode of SpeakEasy with Amit Baruah, Akhilesh Yadav, President of the Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, discusses the high-stakes political battle ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and why he believes the contest will have implications far beyond the State. Speaking amid an increasingly polarised political climate, Yadav outlines his concerns about the future of Indian democracy, allegations of attempts to weaken opposition parties, and the challenges facing the INDIA alliance.
The conversation examines allegations of electoral manipulation, questions surrounding the credibility of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, and the use of central investigative agencies against opposition leaders. Yadav also speaks about the Samajwadi Party’s strategy for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections, the PDA (Pichda, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak) social coalition, the future of the INDIA alliance, and his criticism of the BJP’s economic and foreign policies. He further addresses the Ayodhya donation controversy, bulldozer politics in Uttar Pradesh, and the wider implications of these developments for India’s democratic institutions.