India, May 25 -- "Send me to Mahabharata, in the Kurukshetra," Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said at a media conclave when asked if he had a choice to travel back in time, where it would be, as he faces a fierce fight against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2027 assembly elections. The BJP seeks to retain power in Uttar Pradesh and maintain its winning streak after the electoral setback in the 2024 national polls.

The SP registered its best performance, bagging 37 of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, and the Congress increased its count to six seats from one in 2024. The BJP's seats in the state fell from 62 in 2019 to 33, as the party's overall tally dropped below the majority mark in Parliament.

Yadav's reference...