3 min readLucknowOct 28, 2026 01:09 PM IST First published on: Oct 28, 2026 at 01:08 PM ISTSamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday told colleagues not to organise rallies to celebrate wins in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council election, stressing that they must not give the BJP any chance to tarnish the party’s image months ahead of Assembly polls.Eleven legislative council seats in Uttar Pradesh went to polls on Friday (October 23), and votes are being counted today. The Samajwadi Party has won the teachers seats in Varanasi and Agra divisions, and is leading in the Varanasi graduate constituency. The BJP has retained four of the 11 seats so far.AdvertisementIn a post on X, Yadav congratulated party workers but added a note of caution. “Keep in mind that we need to take this victory to the people through social media in a peaceful manner. No commotion, no procession, so that BJP supporters can’t enter our programmes, create disturbances, and then accuse us of a ruckus. We must guard against all kinds of conspiracies and false allegations, because Assembly elections are approaching. The BJP could plot acts of hooliganism to tarnish our image at any moment,” he said.Yadav’s warning is significant as the BJP showcases law and order as its top plank in the poll campaign against the Samajwadi Party. Yadav said the party will felicitate the winners and the workers for the poll victories. “In the meantime, all you victorious MLCs, please prepare a list of those individuals who supported and assisted you in this victory, helping you win. We will also honour all such workers, office-bearers, and well-wishers,” Yadav said.Sources in the Samajwadi Party said Yadav issued the note of caution to prevent any clash between party workers and BJP supporters during victory processions. “We fear that BJP-backed elements will enter Samajwadi Party’s celebrations and trigger an untoward incident. In such a situation, the BJP government will lodge cases against SP workers, especially those belonging to the Yadav community, and spread propaganda that Samajwadi Party workers will unleash anarchy after it comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.”AdvertisementSignificantly, this is the first time the Samajwadi Party chief has issued such a direction to his party colleagues.The ruling BJP and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have consistently targeted former Chief Minister Yadav on the law and order record of previous Samajwadi Party governments in Uttar Pradesh. As recently as Monday, Chief Minister Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh has become riot-free under the BJP. “Before 2017, ahead of any festival or celebration, riots would be triggered,” he said at the GCC Innovation Summit in Lucknow on Monday.