Lucknow, May 1 -- Ahead of the 2027 assembly polls in the state, Uttar Pradesh has become the epicentre of an intense political tussle over the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar. The BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have locked horns in a high-decibel poster war, each claiming to be the true torchbearer of the Dalit icon's ideals. But, taking strong exception, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has warned both parties - especially the SP and Congress - against dragging Babasaheb into political one-upmanship. A poster showing the half face of BR Ambedkar and the half face of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was put up recently outside the Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow by party's Lohia Vahini (Gonda unit) chief Lalchand Gautam, stirring a new controversy. On Wednesday, another poster came up outside the SP office in Lucknow, putting questions to the BJP government over incidents in which statues of BR Ambedkar were allegedly damaged at several places in the state. The poster also mentioned the alleged atrocities on Dalits under the BJP regime in Uttar Pradesh. The poster put up by SP Yuvjan Mahasabha national general secretary Rajneesh Bharti outside the SP headquarters in Lucknow on Wednesday stated, "With what face is the BJP protesting? Statues of Bhimrao Ambedkar are being broken in BJP government. What is happening in Uttar Pradesh. Why are Ambedkar statues being broken in quick succession? Is someone running a deliberate campaign? Who is running the campaign to break Bhimrao Ambedkar's statues?" In a strong counter, the BJP on Wednesday took to streets, objecting to the poster. The BJP workers staged statewide protests accusing the SP of insulting Dr BR Ambedkar by featuring a poster that partially obscured his face to place former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's image beside it. In Lucknow, the protest took place at Atal Chowk near Ambedkar's statue, with several BJP leaders, including minister of state Vijay Laxmi Gautam, Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal, and BJP state general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla, participating. BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary called the SP's poster a blatant insult to Ambedkar, saying Akhilesh Yadav, known for dynasty politics, could not be equated with a visionary like Ambedkar, who fought for education, equality, and justice. He alleged that the SP had a history of undermining Ambedkar's legacy and questioned whether the party had ever made a Dalit its CM or organisational head. The BJP leaders also recalled past instances, including the alleged removal of Ambedkar's name from institutions and derogatory remarks made by SP leaders. The party demanded a public apology from Akhilesh Yadav, with leaders asserting that the move was a calculated political ploy to mislead Dalits. Reacting to the state-wide protests by Bhartiya Janata Party against Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeque Jamei said, "I fail to understand why these protests are happening? Ambedkar, Gandhi, Lohia and Bhagat Singh are in the blood of our youth, they are the real heroes of freedom struggle." "Akhilesh Ji is taking forward the legacy of BR Ambedkar and he is the real heir of Ambedkar as he is fighting to save the constitution. The BJP and RSS always attacked the Constitution by Baba Saheb, they have also conspired to finish the reservation given in the Constitution. That is why BJP are protesting today," he added. The SP said an unnecessary controversy is being created about the poster by the BJP and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was the real heir of Dalit ideologue BR Ambedkar and Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshiram in the real sense as he is the one taking a stand for Dalits when they face atrocities. But BSP chief Mayawati, whose party has long projected itself as the true inheritor of Ambedkar's legacy, issued a stern warning. In a strongly worded post, she said: "Also, in this case, the architect of the Indian Constitution, the most revered Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, should not be insulted at all. Especially the SP and Congress should take special care of this, otherwise the BSP can also take to the streets against them." In the same post on X, she also said, "All parties should come together and support the government in every step regarding the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and not do dirty politics under its cover by putting up posters and making statements etc., because this is creating confusion among the people, which is not good for the country's interest." Her statement has added a new edge to the unfolding political drama. While the BJP and SP battle it out, the BSP - though weakened in recent elections - remains a critical force among Dalit voters and is positioning itself as the moral guardian of Ambedkar's legacy. Political observers see the escalating contest as a scramble to fill the vacuum created by BSP's electoral decline. With nearly 20% of UP's population comprising Dalits, all major parties are now aggressively courting the Ambedkar vote....