Samajwadi Party leader's 'vote for a dog' remark on Akhilesh Yadav stokes row

A Samajwadi Party MLC's remark urging voters to back Akhilesh Yadav has triggered a row in Uttar Pradesh. The viral clip drew BJP criticism, prompted the SP to distance itself and surfaced amid the party's 2027 poll push.The Samajwadi Party MLC's remark on Akhilesh Yadav has triggered a political row in Uttar Pradesh. (Photo: PTI/File)A controversial remark by Samajwadi Party MLC Lal Bihari Yadav about party chief Akhilesh Yadav has sparked a political row in Uttar Pradesh, after a video of his statement went viral on social media.Addressing an event, Yadav said voters should continue to back Akhilesh Yadav regardless of the circumstances."It doesn't matter, even if he ties a bell around the neck of a dog, you still have to vote for him, because only he will solve your problems," he said."Forget about the person, the person is very great." The remarks have drawn sharp reactions from political parties, with the BJP accusing the SP leader of insulting democracy, while the Samajwadi Party sought to distance itself from the controversy.BJP leader Alok Awasthi launched a sharp attack on the SP MLC over the remark. "Soon, all the dogs will be standing outside the SP office with leashes on. No one can insult democracy more than this. The public will tell us in the elections," Awasthi said.Meanwhile, SP leader Deepak Ranjan played down the controversy, saying the remark should not necessarily be attributed to the party."In a democracy, the public has records of who wins, and we shouldn't go into what they said or didn't, and these could be personal statements," Ranjan said.Also reacting to the controversy, Congress leader Surendra Rajput questioned the BJP's objection to the statement."What problem does the BJP have with the statement? They're talking among themselves. Your leaders have no objection to Thakurs and Pandits becoming Dalits. The BJP has a problem with other leaders," Rajput said.The controversy comes as Akhilesh Yadav has launched a booth-level campaign ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, sharpening his attack on the BJP government and calling it the most corrupt dispensation in the state's history.The SP, which won 111 seats in the 2022 Assembly elections, is seeking to build on its gains in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when it emerged as Uttar Pradesh's largest party with 37 seats.The party is now looking to carry that momentum into the 2027 Assembly polls and mount a serious challenge to the BJP's decade-long rule in the state.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Sep 1, 2026 12:22 IST