Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Saturday, 7 November sharply mocked Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav over his assertion that the SP would return to power in Uttar Pradesh and that he would once again become Chief Minister. Rajbhar told Yadav to prepare for his next life if he wished to hold that office, dismissing any possibility of it happening in his current lifetime.

What Rajbhar Said

'Prepare for your next life. You will not become the Chief Minister in this life,' Rajbhar said, targeting the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in characteristically blunt fashion. The remarks were widely seen as a pointed attempt by the SBSP — a key ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition in the state — to undercut Akhilesh Yadav's growing confidence ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

What Akhilesh Yadav Had Claimed

The trigger for Rajbhar's remarks was Akhilesh Yadav's stated confidence that the SP would form the government in the 2027 state polls. Speaking at a gathering in Varanasi, Yadav had notably indicated he would not contest the assembly elections himself. Instead, he said he would take the oath as Chief Minister directly from his current position as a Lok Sabha member — an unconventional claim that drew immediate political reactions. He also made several promises for Varanasi, including plans to bring a Metro rail project to the city, clean the Varuna river, and ensure adequate compensation for farmers under an SP government.

Rajbhar on Deepotsav and Its Growing Scale

Separately, Rajbhar commented on the expanding scale of Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya, saying public interest in the annual festival was growing with each passing year. 'The Deepotsav programme is gaining popularity day by day, and people's attraction towards it is increasing. This is why it is being celebrated on a much larger scale than last year,' he said. The Deepotsav has been central to the BJP-led government's cultural agenda in Uttar Pradesh since it came to power in 2017.

Election Commission and Voter List Exercise

Rajbhar also weighed in on the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to provide an additional window for citizens whose names were omitted from voter lists during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise across seven states, including Delhi. Defending the poll body's repeated outreach efforts, Rajbhar said the ECI was doing everything possible to ensure no eligible voter was excluded. 'The Election Commission does not want anyone's name to be left out of the voter list. That is why it is repeatedly publishing the lists and asking people to fill in the required forms or approach the authorities for assistance. If people are not taking the process seriously, what can the Election Commission do?' he said.

Political Context Ahead of 2027

This comes amid intensifying pre-poll positioning in Uttar Pradesh, with the 2027 Assembly elections now less than 18 months away. The SP's assertive campaign in constituencies like Varanasi — a seat closely associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi — signals Akhilesh Yadav's intent to push into BJP's strongholds. Rajbhar's mockery, meanwhile, reflects the ruling alliance's strategy of dismissing SP's electoral prospects early and loudly. Whether Yadav's unconventional plan to enter the assembly via gubernatorial call rather than a contested seat will resonate with voters remains an open question as campaigns gather pace.