Lucknow, August 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A political confrontation in Uttar Pradesh has intensified after Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary hit back at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav over his recent “chavanni” remark, while Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati demanded an apology from the SP leader.
The controversy began after Yadav, while referring to leaders who had entered into alliances with the SP and later moved away, said his party had “turned a chavanni into a rupee”. The remark was widely interpreted as a reference to Chaudhary, although Yadav did not name him.
Yadav said the SP had enhanced the political standing of some alliance partners but was subsequently abandoned by them. He added that the party would now focus on strengthening its relationship with the public, promoting social justice and earning people’s trust.
The SP and RLD had contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections together before their alliance broke down, with the RLD subsequently joining the BJP-led NDA.
Responding to Yadav, Chaudhary said the SP chief could have directly taken his name if he intended to make a personal or “cheap” political remark. He also accused Yadav of displaying arrogance and alleged that the Jat community had been targeted.
The controversy gained further momentum after Mayawati attacked Yadav in a series of posts on X. She described his “25-paise to one rupee” remark as indecent and shameful and demanded that he apologise to the RLD, Chaudhary and the Jat community.
Mayawati also accused the SP of repeatedly adopting a narrow and casteist approach towards political allies and opponents. She cited the breakdown of the 1993 SP-BSP alliance and the June 2, 1995, Lucknow State Guest House incident, besides referring to the subsequent SP-BSP alliance during the Lok Sabha elections under Akhilesh Yadav.
The BSP chief accused the SP of using alliances for political gains before turning against former partners. She also criticised the party’s PDA formulation, alleging that its politics had not adequately represented backward classes beyond its traditional support base.
Mayawati further alleged that SP governments had witnessed the exploitation of Dalits, backward classes, minorities and upper-caste communities, while accusing the party of benefiting criminal and mafia elements.
She appealed to Uttar Pradesh voters to prevent the SP from returning to power in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
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