Uttar Pradesh Minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary on 4 October 2026 called on Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav to visit the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and seek the blessings of Lord Ram, as the SP leader's scheduled trip to the city on 8 October triggers a sharp political debate in Uttar Pradesh. The remarks come weeks ahead of a period of intensifying political activity ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

What BJP Leaders Said

Chaudhary said, 'Akhilesh Yadav should definitely come to Ayodhya; Hanuman Garhi and the Ram Mandir are near. He should come. There is pain and regret in his heart after witnessing the growth and development of Ayodhya despite his wishes. Ram Mandir is the symbol of crores of Hindus' faith and devotion so he should definitely come. After all, development has happened, and Akhilesh Yadav can see it.'

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Ajay Alok went further, urging Yadav to 'fall at Ram Lalla's feet, ask for forgiveness,' adding that Yadav's father had 'made a huge mistake by ordering fire on the kar sevaks.' Alok expressed hope that 'Ram Lalla will forgive him.'

Union Minister SP Singh Baghel adopted a more measured tone, stating that in a democracy 'everyone has the right to go wherever they want,' while cautioning that avoiding a place of worship to 'appease a certain vote bank' would be 'wrong.' Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad welcomed the visit, calling on Yadav to 'apologise for his past mistakes' and noting the presence of a statue of Nishad Raj alongside Lord Ram in the temple complex.

SP's Own Framing of the Visit

SP leader Rajeev Rai offered a strikingly different reading, suggesting Lord Ram 'guided Akhilesh ji to see the theft that is going on in Ram Mandir.' Rai added: 'Probably Lord Ram wants the sinners to be removed, and that's why Akhilesh Yadav might be going there.' The remark signals that the SP intends to use the Ayodhya visit not as a concession but as a platform to raise governance concerns around the temple complex.

The Purpose of Akhilesh Yadav's Ayodhya Trip

Yadav is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on 8 October to attend the concluding session of the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha, a week-long religious programme organised by former MLA and SP leader Tej Narayan Pandey — popularly known as Pawan Pandey — at Krishnaapur-Khanpur Rasoolabad. He is expected to spend around an hour at the event, offer prayers, and interact with devotees.

Notably, the SP has already announced Pandey as its candidate from the Ayodhya Assembly constituency for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh polls, giving the visit an unmistakably electoral dimension alongside its religious character.

Political Significance Ahead of 2027

The episode illustrates the contested symbolism of Ayodhya in UP politics. For the BJP, the Ram Mandir represents a governance and cultural achievement; the party's calls for Yadav to 'seek forgiveness' are calibrated to keep the temple's inauguration — and the SP's historical opposition — at the centre of the upcoming electoral narrative. For the SP, the visit is an opportunity to reframe its religious credentials while simultaneously alleging mismanagement at the temple. With the 2027 Assembly elections drawing closer, Ayodhya is set to remain a key political battleground for both parties.