Lucknow, Jan. 1 -- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, stating that the BJP's "conspiracy" would not work.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the BJP will lose the West Bengal polls in 2026 and the Uttar Pradesh polls in 2027.

He said, "In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee is going to win by a large margin of votes. These BJP people conspire everywhere. This time, their conspiracy will not work. First, they will lose in Bengal, and then they will lose in UP as well."

Politics in West Bengal has heated up ahead of the Legislative Assembly elections next year. Union Minister Amit Shah gave the clarion call for ...