Akhilesh pitches Gorakhpur vs Kashi narrative, eyes inroads among Brahmins, business community

Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh. File. | Photo Credit: PTI

After the results of the Legislative Council polls, the Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav is trying to pitch an alleged disagreement between the central leadership and the state leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by projecting a Gorakhpur versus Varanasi plank.

He is attempting to make inroads among Brahmins and the Bania community by accusing the Chief Minister and his regime of being anti-Brahmins and Banias.

“Let Kashi drown, but our Gorakhpur business must not stop,” said Mr. Yadav, in a reference to the BJP victory in the Gorakhpur Legislative Council Graduates’ seat, alleging the victory at the cost of the party losing both Legislative Council seats in the Varanasi region. 

“The BJP has victimised, oppressed, and humiliated every community, so all the oppressed have come together. The PDA’s support base has now reached 95%, thanks to the Brahmin community, the business community, and the Kayastha community voting for us. For the BJP, politics, not community, is paramount. They’ve resorted to every tactic to defeat their traditional voting communities. The BJP is not anyone’s ally. That’s why, whether it’s the Brahmin community, the business community, or the Kayastha community, everyone is now with us. That’s why we’re now at 95%,” said Mr. Yadav on Friday (October 30, 2026), in Lucknow, addressing a meeting attended by Legislative Council winners from the party and candidates.