Samajwadi Party (SP) MLC and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, Lal Bihari Yadav, sparked a political controversy after urging party workers to vote for any candidate chosen by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying, “Even if he (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) fields a dog with a bell tied around its neck, you have to vote for it.”
Yadav made the remarks at a Sunday meeting at Nehru Hall in Azamgarh while supporting SP candidate Kamlesh Yadav for the Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ Legislative Constituency. Party leaders and workers attended the meeting, which was aimed at building support for the SP candidate among teacher voters. The polls are likely to be held in November.
Reiterating his point, Yadav said, “Even if he (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) sends a dog with a bell tied around its neck, you must vote for it, because it will solve your problem. Forget about the individual, the organisation is more important.”
He urged workers to set aside personal preferences and prioritise the party’s decision, stressing the importance of the 2027 Assembly elections.
“The 2027 election will be a matter of life and death for you. Before that, we must win the 2026 MLC election, which will be conducted using ballot papers. Winning this election is essential,” he said.
A video of his remarks quickly went viral on social media.
Reacting to Yadav’s statement, BJP leader and MLC Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the SP leader, being LoP in the Upper House, was expected to maintain the dignity of language in public life.
“He has every right to appeal to voters to vote for his party, but comparing candidates to dogs by him is unfortunate and condemnable,” Pathak said.
