Yogi Adityanath tweeted this morning, "Akhilesh ji, I have an offer for you. You also file your nomination from Shri Ayodhya Dham, and I will do the same," as he laid foundation stones for 78 developmental projects worth over Rs 800 crore in Balrampur district.
Akhilesh Yadav responded on X, reminding the Chief Minister of the BJP’s 2024 defeat in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat and urging the party to field a young candidate in Ayodhya instead of relying on seniorists. He said, "One of our young PDA sentinels is enough to defeat the donation thieves in Ayodhya," a reference to the Ram temple donation theft scandal.
The Ayodhya constituency has long been a symbolic battleground, with the BJP’s temple politics drawing both fervour and opposition. In the last assembly election, the Samajwadi Party already named Tej Narayan Pandey as its candidate, but Yadav’s challenge suggests the party may field a fresh face next year.
Political analysts note that the CM’s public offer is a calculated move to consolidate his base before the 2027 UP elections. By positioning himself as a candidate for the sacred seat, Adityanath aims to neutralise the Samajwadi Party’s narrative that the BJP is a political party rather than a faith‑based movement.
What follows is the election commission’s schedule. Nominations will open in early December, giving parties two weeks to file candidates. The final list will be released shortly before the 2027 election, setting the stage for a potentially contentious contest in Ayodhya.