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Party plans transparency pledge over donations, seeking broader Hindu voter support before elections.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections drawing closer, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is preparing to make the alleged irregularities in offerings at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya a major political issue, signalling a calibrated attempt to expand its electoral appeal beyond its traditional support base. Party insiders indicate that the SP is likely to promise stringent action in its Assembly election manifesto against those found responsible for alleged irregularities in the handling of Ram Mandir donations.
In recent weeks, party leaders have intensified their attacks on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of failing to ensure transparency in the management of offerings at one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines.
A source told Read that the SP, despite having historically opposed the Ram Mandir movement, is now attempting to “ride its bicycle to Lucknow” by leveraging the alleged Ram Mandir donation scam as a major campaign issue. The source highlighted the political irony, noting that the same party whose government witnessed police firing on kar sevaks during the Ram Mandir movement, and which spent years attacking the BJP and the RSS over the Babri Masjid demolition, is now positioning itself as a champion of transparency and accountability in the administration of the Ram Mandir. According to the source, the party intends to include a commitment in its manifesto to take strict action against those allegedly involved in the irregularities.
Political pundits see this as the latest phase of the SP’s evolving “soft Hindutva” strategy. While the party has consistently questioned the alleged theft and mismanagement of temple offerings, it is now attempting to transform the issue into a broader campaign centred on transparency in temple administration and the religious and cultural development of Ayodhya.
The strategy follows the SP’s improved performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) social coalition helped it register significant electoral gains. Having strengthened its support among backward classes, Dalits and minorities, the party is now seeking to reach out to Hindu voters for whom the Ram Mandir remains a deeply emotional issue.
Party strategists believe that by demanding accountability in the management of temple donations—rather than questioning the temple itself—the SP can challenge the BJP without alienating religious voters. As part of this approach, the party is expected to advocate a transparent mechanism for managing temple offerings while also promising further religious and cultural development of Ayodhya in its election agenda.
The SP is also drawing confidence from its victory in the Ayodhya Lok Sabha constituency during the 2024 general elections. Party leaders believe that the Opposition’s campaign at the time, which argued that a BJP victory with more than 400 seats could lead to constitutional changes affecting reservations, resonated with voters. Sources say the SP now hopes that the alleged Ram Mandir donation irregularities could similarly emerge as a politically significant issue in the run-up to the Assembly polls.
Speaking to ReadSP National Spokesperson IP Singh launched a scathing attack on the BJP and the RSS over the controversy.
“This Ram Mandir donation theft scam will mark the beginning of the BJP and RSS’s downfall in Uttar Pradesh. Those who steal from the Ram Mandir will never be forgiven by the people of Ayodhya,” Singh said.
Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, he added, “The people of Ayodhya have already taught them a lesson once. This time, they will teach them an even bigger lesson—not just in Ayodhya but across Uttar Pradesh. The people will give the BJP and RSS a lesson they will remember for years.”
The BJP, however, has dismissed the SP’s campaign as nothing more than electoral opportunism. Senior BJP leaders have accused the Opposition of exploiting matters of faith for political gain.
Senior political analyst Santosh Bhartiya told Read that Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is seeking to make the Ram Mandir controversy a key electoral issue ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. According to Bhartiya, the SP sees the issue as an effective political tool to broaden its appeal and influence the state’s political narrative.
Bhartiya also said that speculation over Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s political future has become widespread in Uttar Pradesh. “There is a perception among a section of people that even if Yogi Adityanath continues as Chief Minister until the Assembly elections, he may later be moved to a different role. Whether this happens or not is a separate matter, but this perception appears to be benefiting Akhilesh Yadav politically,” he said.
Commenting on Akhilesh Yadav’s recent remark that “Sanatanis are samajwadis and Samajwadis are Hindus,” Bhartiya said the statement, coupled with the Ram Mandir controversy and discussions around Yogi Adityanath’s future, has found resonance among many voters. “Taken together, these developments have emerged as significant issues in Uttar Pradesh’s political discourse,” he added.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has repeatedly maintained that anyone found guilty of tampering with matters relating to religious faith will face strict action. BJP leaders have also questioned SP chief Akhilesh Yadav over his failure to visit the Ram Mandir for darshanwhile reviving memories of the police firing on kar sevaks during the SP government’s tenure.
Despite the BJP’s counteroffensive, the SP appears determined to place Ayodhya at the centre of its Assembly election campaign, hoping to use the alleged donation irregularities to challenge the BJP’s claim of being the sole political custodian of Hindu interests.
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