'Didi defeated ED...now BJP': Akhilesh Yadav extends support to Mamata
What's the story
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, extending his support to her against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The meeting took place at the state secretariat Nabanna and lasted over 40 minutes. After the meeting, Yadav told reporters, "Didi (Mamata Banerjee) has defeated the ED; we are certain that she will now defeat the BJP once again." Yadav was accompanied by his wife, Dimple Yadav, a Lok Sabha MP.
Support extended
Yadav praises Banerjee's courage against BJP
During the meeting, Yadav praised Banerjee for her courage in countering the BJP's "onslaught." He said, "Only Didi can counter the onslaught of the BJP in this country," adding that he would extend his support to Banerjee in her "fight to save democracy." The SP chief also slammed the BJP over recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), criticizing them as an attempt to harass people.
Accusations made
Yadav accuses BJP of divisiveness, criticizes Election Commission
Yadav accused the BJP of divisiveness and alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a ploy to reduce votes for opponents. He said they expected neutrality from the Election Commission during this exercise, but felt otherwise based on experiences in states like Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
Criticism voiced
Yadav criticizes BJP's actions in Uttar Pradesh
Yadav also slammed the BJP's actions in Uttar Pradesh, where nearly 2.89 crore voters were deleted from draft electoral rolls during a revision exercise. He said attempts are being made to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under SIR. The meeting comes amid rising criticism and allegations against the BJP over ongoing electoral roll revisions in poll-bound states.