Lucknow, Dec. 30 -- As 2025 comes to a close and 2026 approaches, Uttar Pradesh politics is ending the year amid intense churn and recalibration.
The past twelve months were marked by sharp controversies, open dissent, personal battles and strategic political messaging, keeping the state's political climate volatile throughout the year.
One of the most symbolic moments of 2025 was the completion of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the religious flag atop the temple and appeared visibly emotional as the long awaited project reached its culmination. The BJP and the RSS projected the moment as the fulfilment of a decades old resolve, reinforcing Ayodhya's central place in the party's ideological and political narrative.
The debate around Ayodhya, however, did not fade. After the BJP's defeat in the Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections, the Opposition questioned the party's grip over the region.
The BJP countered this narrative with its victory in the Milkipur Assembly by election, where Chandrabhanu Prasad defeated Ajit Prasad, son of SP MP Awadhesh Prasad, allowing the party to claim that the Lok Sabha setback was temporary.
Strains within ruling allies surfaced early. Apna Dal (S) chief and Union minister Anupriya Patel and her husband, Uttar Pradesh technical education minister Ashish Patel, publicly found themselves at odds with their own government. The situation escalated when Pallavi Patel, Anupriya's sister and an SP MLA, protested outside the Assembly, accusing Ashish Patel of irregular promotions and submitting a complaint to the Governor.
The Samajwadi Party also faced internal turbulence. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav cracked down on indiscipline, expelling three MLAs in June for cross voting in the Rajya Sabha elections held earlier in 2024. In August, Chail MLA Pooja Pal was expelled for publicly praising Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, underlining the party leadership's strict approach.
Several controversies kept political discourse charged. The alleged codeine cough syrup case resonated from the state Assembly to Parliament.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.