Lucknow, Feb. 7 -- On the eve of the vote counting for the Milkipur Assembly bypoll, posters projecting Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav as the next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2027 surfaced outside the party office on Friday. The counting of votes for the crucial seat is set to commence at 8 am on Saturday.
The posters prominently feature images of Akhilesh taking a holy dip in Prayagraj, with slogans suggesting his return to power in 2027 and a promise to organise a grand Ardh Kumbh in 2032. The text on the posters reads, "27 mein aayenge Akhilesh, 32 mein bhavya Ardhkumbh karayenge vishesh" (Akhilesh will return in 2027 and will organise a grand Ardh Kumbh in 2032).
Meanwhile, Akhilesh has intensified his criticism of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela during the second Shahi Snan on Mauni Amavasya (January 29), which reportedly claimed at least 30 lives and left around 60 injured.
Demanding transparency on the fatalities, he called on the government to reveal the actual figures of the deaths, details of medical treatment for the injured, and the overall arrangements made for the event. "The government is consistently presenting Budget figures, but why is it hiding the number of deaths at the Maha Kumbh? I demand an all-party meeting to clarify the arrangements made for the event. The responsibility for disaster management and the lost and found centre should be handed over to the Army," he asserted.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.