Akhilesh Yadav mocks UP expressways, calls them 'Hitchkole Expressway'
Synopsis
SP president Akhilesh Yadav sarcastically suggested all expressways built under BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh be renamed 'Hitchkole Expressway' — a Hindi word for jolts and bumps — questioning their quality and maintenance in a pointed social media post on July 31, 2026.
Key Takeaways
Akhilesh Yadav proposed renaming all BJP-era UP expressways 'Hitchkole Expressway' in a social media post on July 31, 2026 .
The Hindi term hitchkole means jolts or bumps, framing the rename as a quality indictment.
The BJP has built multiple expressways in Uttar Pradesh since taking power in 2017 , including the Purvanchal and Bundelkhand corridors.
Yadav served as UP Chief Minister from 2012 to 2017 and oversaw the state's early expressway expansion under SP rule.
No official response from the Uttar Pradesh government or BJP has been issued as of the time of posting.
A single nickname for every expressway built under BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh — that is the pointed suggestion Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav floated on Friday, July 31, 2026, turning a pothole complaint into a sharp political jab.
In a post that quickly circulated on social media, Yadav wrote in Hindi: 'भाजपा के राज में उप्र में बने सारे एक्सप्रेसवे को अलग-अलग नाम देने की जगह सिर्फ़ एक ही नाम दे देना चाहिए: हिचकोले एक्सप्रेसवे' — roughly translated: 'Instead of giving separate names to all the expressways built in UP under BJP rule, they should all just be given one single name: Hitchkole Expressway' — 'hitchkole' meaning jolts or bumps. He signed off with a dry flourish: 'The public is wise enough to understand the rest.'
The expressway boom BJP built — and the quality debate it sparked
Since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017 under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state has aggressively expanded its expressway network. Flagship corridors including the Purvanchal Expressway and the Bundelkhand Expressway were completed and inaugurated as showcase infrastructure achievements, connecting previously underserved regions of the state.
The ruling party has consistently cited these projects as evidence of transformative governance. Each expressway was given a distinct name — often evoking regional identity or historical legacy — and inaugurated with considerable political fanfare.
Satire as opposition strategy in UP's SP-BJP rivalry
Yadav's post — accompanied by four images — follows a well-worn playbook in Indian opposition politics: use social media wit to reframe an infrastructure achievement as a quality failure, without the burden of a formal press conference. The 'Hitchkole Expressway' coinage is designed to stick — a mnemonic that embeds the criticism in the brand itself.
As the former Chief Minister who oversaw UP's Agra-Lucknow Expressway during his own tenure (2012–2017), Yadav has long positioned the SP as the original architect of expressway culture in the state. Framing the BJP's additions as rough, poorly maintained roads is an extension of that competitive narrative ahead of the next state electoral cycle.
The UP government has not yet issued a formal response to the post. Whether BJP leaders choose to engage the jibe on social media or let it pass will itself be a signal of how much political traction they believe the road-quality issue carries with voters.
Point of View
Attempting to flip infrastructure pride into a liability. The timing matters: with state politics in perpetual pre-election mode in UP, road quality is a kitchen-table issue that cuts across caste and class. Whether the jibe lands depends on whether voters experience the roads as genuinely poor — satire only sticks when it maps onto lived reality.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Akhilesh Yadav say about UP expressways?
Akhilesh Yadav sarcastically suggested that all expressways built under BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh should be given a single name — 'Hitchkole Expressway' — implying they are riddled with bumps and jolts rather than smooth to drive on.
What does 'hitchkole' mean in Hindi?
'Hitchkole' is a Hindi word meaning jolts, bumps, or jerks — the kind experienced on a poorly surfaced road. Yadav used it to mock the perceived quality of BJP-built expressways in Uttar Pradesh.
Which expressways did BJP build in Uttar Pradesh?
Major expressways completed under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh since 2017 include the Purvanchal Expressway and the Bundelkhand Expressway, both inaugurated as flagship infrastructure projects under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Has the UP government responded to Akhilesh Yadav's expressway criticism?
As of the time of Yadav's post on July 31, 2026, no official response had been issued by the Uttar Pradesh government or BJP leaders to his 'Hitchkole Expressway' remark.
What expressways did Akhilesh Yadav build when he was UP Chief Minister?
During Akhilesh Yadav's tenure as UP Chief Minister from 2012 to 2017, the Samajwadi Party government built the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, which he has frequently cited as a benchmark for road infrastructure in the state.
