Akhilesh proposed the Ayodhya visit to extend the reach of his PDA, say political analysts

Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav. File | Photo credit: ANI

After Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced for the first time since his inauguration two years ago that he had proposed a visit to the Ram temple in Ayodhya on December 12, political glory followed with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calling the visit politically motivated.

Also read | Apologize to saints, devotees before visiting Ayodhya: Adityanath before Akhilesh’s visit

Analysts see the visit as an attempt by the SP chief to leave no stone unturned ahead of the Assembly’s vote early next year and to address the concerns of Brahmins, who are traditionally associated with the temple priesthood. The visit has significance as it takes place after the donation embezzlement episode at the Ram Temple. It is also seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP’s anti-Hindu rhetoric against the SP.

Party spokesperson Pawan Pandey said last week that Mr Yadav would go to Hanuman Garhi with his MP wife Dimple Yadav and other family members and later to Ram Temple on December 12.

Faith is personal: Akhilesh

“Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear several times that religion and faith are personal matters and after the completion of the Kedareshwar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, which is located at the same latitude as Kedarnath Dham, he will visit (Lord) Ramlalla in Ayodhya. BJP’s anxiety and propaganda regarding his visit further reinforces that the Judge Assembly does not want to question their success and the 1UP0 government Panwar, a senior SP leader.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hit out at the SP chief during the proposed visit, claiming that those who neglected the holy city, opened fire on Lord Ram devotees and subjected the saint to police action were welcome but only after seeking forgiveness. “Those who neglected and insulted (Ayodhya), who opened fire on the devotees of Lord Rama and subjected the saints to lathi attacks, should definitely come to Ayodhya, but only after an apology. Let them apologize once to the devotees and once to the saints,” Mr. Adityanath said in the November 10 issue of Deepothya.

Reaching higher castes

“SP is trying to expand its PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) reach beyond Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Muslims. Akhilesh Yadav is aware that in the 2022 assembly polls, despite getting a significant share of votes, he was far from forming a government. In the 2024 elections, he got the Lokes Sabha crowd (OBCs) and SCs from other non-representable voters, along with the Yadavs and Muslims, the SP-Congress alliance has been in a close fight with the BJP in UP. Hence, through the Ram Temple outreach, the SP is leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to castes across the state, including Brahmins and other upper castes,” said Shashikant Ambras, a political scientist at Lucknowebhi University.

Umakant Pandey, a political analyst based in Lucknow, said that Brahmins have traditionally functioned as priests responsible for daily worship at temples, so the visit may be linked to community outreach. “The visit can also be seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP’s anti-Hindu rhetoric against the Samajwadi Party as the ruling party always tries to attack the late Mulayam Singh Yadav for ordering the firing of kar sevaks to protest the Babri Masjid in the early 1990s,” said a political analyst.

Published – November 9, 2026 10:08 PM IST