Jayant Chaudhary-Akhilesh Yadav feud sharpens ahead of UP Assembly polls
Synopsis
What started as a pointed quip about seat tallies has escalated into a multi-minister political flashpoint. Jayant Chaudhary's warning that Akhilesh Yadav 'won't be able to stand in UP' — backed by four Cabinet ministers — signals that the battle for western Uttar Pradesh's Jat vote is already on, well before election season formally begins.
Key Takeaways
Akhilesh Yadav reportedly remarked that the NDA would only have truly respected Chaudhary Saheb if the RLD won 73 seats in the alliance.
Jayant Chaudhary warned: 'If I speak out, he won't be able to stand in UP.' Four UP Cabinet ministers — Narendra Kashyap , Om Prakash Rajbhar , Anil Rajbhar , and Nand Kishor Gurjar — publicly backed the RLD chief.
Minister Kashyap cited the Chaudhary family's political legacy, including a grandfather who served as both UP Chief Minister and Prime Minister of India .
The row highlights the intensifying contest for western Uttar Pradesh , the RLD's Jat-dominated stronghold, ahead of assembly elections.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) President Jayant Chaudhary and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav are locked in a sharpening war of words ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with the exchange turning increasingly personal on 15 September 2026. Several UP Cabinet ministers have now entered the fray, publicly backing Jayant Chaudhary and criticising the SP leadership.
How the exchange started
The latest flare-up traces back to a remark made by Akhilesh Yadav, who reportedly quipped that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be considered to have truly respected 'Chaudhary Saheb' only if the RLD won 73 seats within the alliance. The comment was widely read as a dig at the RLD's standing inside the NDA.
Jayant Chaudhary responded sharply, warning against what he characterised as dismissive remarks. 'The SP chief is talking lightly. If I speak out, he won't be able to stand in UP,' Chaudhary said, ratcheting up the political temperature in the state.
UP ministers rally behind Jayant Chaudhary
The remarks drew swift reactions from the ruling coalition. Minister Narendra Kashyap underlined the Chaudhary family's political legacy, noting that Jayant Chaudhary's grandfather served as both Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Prime Minister of the country, and his father as a Union Minister. 'Defining the party that gave the country a Prime Minister with the word 'chavanni' would naturally cause anger and outrage, wouldn't it?' Kashyap said, suggesting Chaudhary may hold information capable of posing a political threat to the SP.
Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar backed Chaudhary's remarks on grounds of personal familiarity. 'What Jayant Chaudhary has said is correct because he used to visit their home frequently, so he knows the situation of the entire family,' Rajbhar said.
More ministers weigh in
Minister Anil Rajbhar cautioned the SP against targeting the Chaudhary family, stressing its stature in national politics. 'The Chaudhary family is a big name in national politics. Chaudhary Sahab was a great man, and every section of society respects him. Now making such statements against this family will not be tolerated, and the SP will have to face the consequences of it,' he said.
Minister Nand Kishor Gurjar described Jayant Chaudhary as a 'serious and educated' political leader and alleged the SP had made derogatory remarks about leaders across multiple social groups. 'Farmers, labourers, and youth will oppose any political comments against Jayant Chaudhary. The Samajwadi Party does not respect its long-time allies in western Uttar Pradesh,' Gurjar said, flagging western UP — the RLD's traditional stronghold — as a potential flashpoint.
What this signals for UP politics
This is not the first time Akhilesh Yadav and Jayant Chaudhary have clashed publicly. The two had previously been on the same side during the 2022 UP Assembly elections, but the RLD's subsequent entry into the NDA repositioned it as a BJP ally, creating a direct political rivalry with the SP. The current exchange, coming well ahead of the next state elections, suggests the contest for western Uttar Pradesh's Jat-dominated constituencies is already underway. With multiple ministers amplifying Chaudhary's response, the NDA appears to be treating the row as an opportunity to consolidate its position in the region.
Point of View
With Chaudhary firmly in the NDA, the SP must contest that terrain without its former ally's Jat network. The speed with which four sitting ministers amplified Chaudhary's response suggests the BJP-NDA is deliberately widening this rift, using the SP's own words to consolidate Jat sentiment against it. For Akhilesh Yadav, the political risk is real — a misstep on caste optics in western UP could cost the SP dearly in a region it cannot afford to write off.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggered the Jayant Chaudhary-Akhilesh Yadav war of words?
The row was sparked by a remark from SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who reportedly quipped that the NDA would only have truly respected 'Chaudhary Saheb' if the RLD won 73 seats in the alliance. Jayant Chaudhary responded sharply, warning that if he spoke out, Akhilesh 'won't be able to stand in UP.'
What did Jayant Chaudhary say in response to Akhilesh Yadav?
Jayant Chaudhary called Akhilesh Yadav's remarks 'light' and issued a pointed warning: 'The SP chief is talking lightly. If I speak out, he won't be able to stand in UP.' The statement was widely seen as hinting at potentially damaging information about the SP leadership.
Which UP ministers backed Jayant Chaudhary and why?
Ministers Narendra Kashyap, Om Prakash Rajbhar, Anil Rajbhar, and Nand Kishor Gurjar all backed Jayant Chaudhary. They cited the Chaudhary family's national political legacy — including a grandfather who served as UP Chief Minister and Prime Minister — and warned that the SP would face consequences for its remarks.
Why does this feud matter for Uttar Pradesh elections?
The clash is significant because it signals an early contest for western Uttar Pradesh, where the RLD enjoys strong support among Jat voters — a community that previously backed SP-RLD alliance efforts. With the RLD now in the NDA, every exchange between the two parties sharpens the battle lines in that crucial region.
What is the RLD's current political position in Uttar Pradesh?
The Rashtriya Lok Dal, led by Jayant Chaudhary, is currently aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), making it a political opponent of the Samajwadi Party. The two parties had previously contested elections together in 2022 before the RLD shifted alliance.
