Politics1 min read

Akhilesh Yadav to visit Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Dec 12, says SP leader ahead of UP polls

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey announced that Akhilesh Yadav and his wife, Dimple Yadav, will visit both the Ram Temple and the Hanumangarhi temple on December 12. The journey arrives as political parties recalibrate their strategies in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls scheduled for early 2027. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has persistently targeted Yadav for skipping the site, frequently bringing up the 1990s police firing on karsevaks under Mulayam Singh Yadav's government. Meanwhile, Yadav has previously leveled accusations of fund theft against the BJP and Sangh affiliates regarding the Ayodhya site.

Key points

  • The planned pilgrimage seeks to blunt persistent Bharatiya Janata Party attacks alleging…: The planned pilgrimage seeks to blunt persistent Bharatiya Janata Party attacks alleging political appeasement ahead of the 2027 elections.
  • Ruling party opponents continue to invoke the 1990s police action against karsevaks to cr…: Ruling party opponents continue to invoke the 1990s police action against karsevaks to criticize the Samajwadi Party's leadership.
  • Yadav has historically maintained an adversarial stance on the site's management, accusin…: Yadav has historically maintained an adversarial stance on the site's management, accusing BJP-linked groups of financial wrongdoing.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Akhilesh's planned Ayodhya visit comes amid renewed political focus on the temple town ahead of the 2027 UP polls

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav will visit the Ram Temple and Hanumangarhi in Ayodhya on December 12, former SP MLA Pawan Pandey announced on Saturday, ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections scheduled for early 2027."Both Akhilesh ji and his wife Dimple Yadav ji will visit Ram Temple and also visit the Hanumangarhi temple at Ayodhya on December 12," Pandey, who has been renominated as the SP candidate from Ayodhya, told reporters.

The proposed visit will be Akhilesh's first to the Ram Temple since its inauguration in January 2024. The SP chief has faced repeated criticism from the BJP over not visiting the temple, with the ruling party accusing him of pursuing appeasement politics.Pandey said Akhilesh would visit Ayodhya with his family, meet saints and seek their blessings. The announcement comes as the BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath prepares for Deepotsav celebrations in the temple town.Akhilesh has previously said he would visit the…

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