Akhilesh Yadav has levelled a big allegation about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s political ambitions.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath at Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj.
Photo : PTI

Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday made a massive claim surrounding Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s political future, suggesting that the recent Mahakumbh mela was projected in a way to position him as a Prime Ministerial candidate. Raking up the Mahakumbh mela that was organised in Prayagraj this year at a grand scale, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that there were rumours to make it an event of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and to announce the UP CM as the next Prime Ministerial candiate.
Speaking to reporters, Akhilesh Yadav said, “They want to make every event a BJP event. It is being heard that during the Maha Kumbh, it was their plan to announce his (CM Yogi Adityanath) name as the Prime Minister’s face. They wanted to make this a political Kumbh. This was not a religious Kumbh. Have you ever seen so many announcements and interviews on Kumbh before? People should be able to see the truth.”

#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP: Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav says “It is being heard that during the Maha Kumbh, it was their plan to announce his (CM Yogi Adityanath) name as the Prime Minister’s face. They wanted to make this a political Kumbh. This was not a religious… pic.twitter.com/jEFNXs86Q6

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2025

What the UP CM said amid PM Modi’s ‘retirement’ buzz

There has been growing conjecture surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s potential retirement after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that he will resign on September 17 this year when he turns 75. In a recent interview with PTI, Yogi Adityanath was asked about how a section of society wanted to see him as the Prime Minister of India one day and what he thought about it.

“Look, I am the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the party has put me here for the people of Uttar Pradesh, and politics is not a full-time job for me. At present, I am working here but in reality, I am a Yogi. As long as we are here, we are working. There will be a time limit to this too,” he had said in response.

VIDEO | EXCLUSIVE: Here’s what Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) said responding to a question regarding a large section of people wanting to see him as the Prime Minister someday:

“Look, I am the Chief Minister of the state, the party has put me here for the… pic.twitter.com/kTacrrfdaI

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 1, 2025