Akhilesh Yadav signals possible 2027 route to chief ministership

Akhilesh Yadav said he could become Uttar Pradesh chief minister after the 2027 Assembly election without contesting a seat, citing the route he took in 2012. Speaking to reporters in Varanasi on Tuesday, the Samajwadi Party president said he could take the oath while still a Lok Sabha member. His remarks indicate a possibility, not a confirmed decision about whether he will contest. Asked whether he would stand in Varanasi, Yadav referred to the distinction between what is auspicious and inauspicious. He said he became chief minister without contesting an Assembly election in 2012 and would do what he considered auspicious for him. Yadav is currently the Lok Sabha member for Kannauj, the constituency he represented when he first became chief minister. In 2012, Yadav took office after the Samajwadi Party won 224 Assembly seats. He later became a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. He also did not contest the 2017 Assembly election while leading the party’s campaign, which ended in defeat. In 2022, he contested and won the Karhal seat, then resigned his Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat. He returned to Parliament from Kannauj in 2024. Yadav’s comments drew criticism from BJP...