Akhilesh opens new SP base in Azamgarh, recalls Mulayam-Kanshi Ram unity

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday invoked the “historic” coming together of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) architect Kanshi Ram, saying it reflected the power of ideological alliances for social justice.

Speaking at the inauguration of the party’s new residence and office complex in Azamgarh, Akhilesh referred to a photo shown by a young party worker in the crowd. “That photo has Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and Kanshi Ram together. Think how significant that time was — when two ideologies stood side by side,” he said.
Dalit icon Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh had joined forces in the early 1990s against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was on the rise at that time.

Marking a strategic expansion of the party’s eastern Uttar Pradesh presence ahead of the 2027 state polls, Akhilesh said Azamgarh held a special emotional connection for his father Mulayam Singh.

“The kind of love and respect Azamgarh gives is rare. Netaji had a deep emotional bond with this place and the people here always stood by him,” he added.
Reflecting on his political journey, the former chief minister said, “A fourth of a century of my life has been spent in politics. I remember how the people of Azamgarh ensured Netaji’s victory in elections.”

Taking a dig at the BJP, Akhilesh said, “They have offices with multiple floors but nothing like this. Their office here is small because they know they won’t win from here.”

Pointing to infrastructure gains made under his tenure, he said, “It takes the same time to reach Azamgarh from Lucknow as it does to reach Etawah’s Saifai now, thanks to the expressways we built.”

All 10 assembly seats in Azamgarh and both its Lok Sabha constituencies are currently held by the SP. Akhilesh represented Azamgarh in Parliament from 2019 to 2024, after his father held the seat in 2014. The constituency is now held by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav.

The newly inaugurated site, still under construction, spans 68 biswa (approximately 82,960 sq ft) along the Azamgarh-Faizabad highway in Anwarganj. SP officials said it would serve as Akhilesh’s second permanent base after Saifai in Etawah. A training centre for party workers will also be developed on the premises, with a foundation stone laid during the visit.