Lucknow: Months before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, political tensions in the state are heating up over posters. On Thursday, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav met Azam Khan. The following Friday morning, people stepping out onto the streets in various cities across Uttar Pradesh were left surprised to see posters displayed at major intersections. These posters target Akhilesh Yadav and take sarcastic jabs at him.

The posters also stand out for their creative presentation. They use rhyming words in slogans and experiment with different images to convey their message. In Lucknow, a large poster targeting Akhilesh Yadav has been put up near the National PG College crossing. It features a picture of Akhilesh Yadav wearing a round cap, alongside photographs of alleged mafia leaders Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari.

The poster carries the slogan: “Tea, samosas and ras malai—all the mafia are our brothers.”

The posters have appeared not only in Lucknow but also in around 15 districts across Uttar Pradesh. Besides Lucknow, they have been put up in Ballia, Mau, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Basti, Hardoi and Sitapur, among other districts. The posters feature photographs of Atiq Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari and Azam Khan.

One of the slogans reads: “Who can trust the SP workers? Tea, samosas and ras malai—all the mafia are their brothers.”

The posters displayed in these cities also refer to the 2013 Uttar Pradesh Provincial Civil Services (UP PCS) recruitment examination. They claim that 56 out of 86 posts were filled by candidates belonging to a particular caste. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, the posters carry another slogan: “Rasgulla and ras malai—a government of one caste has arrived.”

Akhilesh Yadav has also been targeted through posters accusing the Samajwadi Party of promoting dynastic politics. One poster reads: “Dal, rice and pickle—the party is nothing but one family.”

The posters also refer to Akhilesh Yadav’s iftar parties and the Muzaffarnagar riots that took place during the SP government’s tenure. One of the slogans in this context reads: “Riots, iftar and biryani—the real story of SP rule.”