Ayodhya

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav visited Ayodhya on 9 October 2026 to attend a Bhagwat event organised by party leader Pawan Pandey. He shared the stage with local saints and held discussions that point to a clear push on Sanatan and general caste reach, with Brahmin voters in focus alongside the existing PDA campaign.

This visit comes at a time when competition over Hindutva messaging between Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party is heating up ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Yadav met with religious figures directly in Ayodhya. It looks like he is sending a strong signal that his party is ready to take on BJP on its own ideological ground.

What This Means for UP Voters

The party also said that Ram Mandir darshan will follow the inauguration of Kedareshwar Temple. This adds more weight to the reach effort. For voters in UP, this matters. It shows how party strategies are changing on the ground as election season gets closer.

Congress workers across Uttar Pradesh burned effigies of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday. They accuse him of helping BJP manipulate voter lists.

All India Congress Committee and state unit chief Ajay Rai directed the statewide protest. In Lucknow, party members marched from Tikunia Park to the Election Commission office in Janpath Market. Police put up barricades near the municipal corporation office to block the march. Scuffles followed.

Several leaders were detained during the protest. District unit chief Rudradaman Singh and city chiefs Shahzad Alam and Amit Srivastava Tyagi were among them. All were released later.

Why the Protest Happened

State media department chairman Kunwar Singh Nishad said the Election Commission runs on a single-person command. The other two commissioners are pushed aside. He called it a setup that allows problems in electoral rolls. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi raised this issue earlier too.

Protests and effigy burnings took place in many cities, including Varanasi, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Raebareli, Sultanpur, Sitapur, Sonbhadra and Unnao.

In Prayagraj, MP Ujjwal Raman Singh led a march from Balsan crossing to Anand Bhawan. In Ayodhya, demonstrators clashed with police near the district hospital. Workers also held a two-wheeler rally in Mathura and protested outside Kumar's home in Agra.

The party asked for three things:

• Kumar's arrest
• His removal from the post
• An independent audit of all electoral roll changes made during his tenure as CEC

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns about the fairness of the election process in Uttar Pradesh. During a press conference in Lucknow, he pointed to reports of disagreement within the Election Commission of India. He noted that two election commissioners had filed multiple objections to decisions made during the special intensive revision of voter rolls.

Election integrity concerns

Akhilesh claimed that officials manipulated the process to help the ruling party. He mentioned specific complaints regarding the misuse of Form 7 to remove names from voter lists. He warned that these actions hurt the democratic foundation of the country. Also, the SP chief demanded payment for residents in Ayodhya who lost their homes during recent demolition drives. He promised that his party would provide fair treatment if they return to power in 2027.

Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team told Supreme Court it will file a chargesheet for the Ram Mandir donation theft case within two days. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta gave this timeline during a hearing with a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant.

Court members heard that the accused might get default bail if the chargesheet is not filed before September 25. SIT already gave judges a status report on the investigation. Several people and groups have asked for an independent probe and a financial audit of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.

Investigation status

The court is watching this case closely to ensure the legal process is followed. Officials are working to meet the deadline and prevent the accused from getting bail by default.

Recent bypoll results show how voters are thinking differently. Bharatiya Janata Party lost its long-held Bankipur seat in Bihar to Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor. He won by 19,324 votes. Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy says this shows growing anger among the public and younger voters.

Election updates

Opposition leaders are asking questions about several issues. This includes the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Congress party managed to keep its seat in Datia, Madhya Pradesh. Bharatiya Janata Party held onto its Manjalpur seat in Gujarat, but their win margin there dropped compared to the 2022 elections.

Monsoon Session of Parliament starts this Monday. It seems it will be a fiery session. Opposition parties plan to question the government about a few important topics.

Key points include reports of missing donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. They also want to talk about the NEET exam paper leak and the current situation in Manipur. Issues like Sonam Wangchuk's recent fast and concerns over ethanol blending are also up for discussion.

Disagreements and upcoming bills

Tensions rose quickly during a recent all-party meeting. Opposition leaders walked out to protest the government inviting rebel Trinamul Congress MPs who joined the NCPI. There is also a dispute over the Speaker's recognition of rebel Shiv Sena MPs.

The government asked all parties to have productive debates instead of causing disruptions. The session will run until August 13. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, is also expected to be introduced during this time.