LUCKNOW, Oct. 29 -- A poster was put up outside the Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow on Thursday, celebrating the party's victory in the just-concluded Uttar Pradesh legislative council elections, in which the party bagged 5 of the total 11 seats, and making a claim for the SP's victory in the next year's assembly polls.

"Ayodhya won by Awadhesh Pasi, Ashutosh and Lal Bihari won Kashi," read the poster put up by SP leader from Amethi Jaisingh Pratap Yadav. The hoarding also claimed: "PDA's message: Akhilesh is coming in 2027."

The party is especially buoyant after securing both MLC seats in the Varanasi (Kashi) region. "Our national president (Akhilesh Yadav) had asked us not to celebrate and stay calm. So we are expressing our happine...