Why Ayodhya Assembly seat is back in focus ahead of UP polls

The recent banter between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has reignited discussions about the Ayodhya Assembly seat, which has been a focal point in Uttar Pradesh politics for the past three decades. The seat, which includes the Ayodhya constituency, has seen fluctuations in the BJP's vote share and winning margins, with the SP's 2024 victory in Faizabad raising questions about the ruling party's electoral prospects.

In a recent event, Yadav challenged Adityanath to contest the 2027 Assembly elections from Ayodhya, to which Adityanath responded by inviting Yadav to face him in the election. Adityanath, however, clarified that his visits to Ayodhya are for the purpose of integrated development, not electoral contests. The BJP's performance in the Ayodhya constituency has been inconsistent, with the party recording its highest vote share in 1991 but experiencing a decline in vote share and winning margins in subsequent elections.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.