The BJP on Wednesday criticised Samajwadi Party (SP) President, Akhilesh Yadav’s indication that he would not contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, saying he had made the right decision as he would otherwise face the fate of several INDIA Bloc leaders who lost recent electoral contests.

The BJP said Yadav was aware of the political situation and the possibility of facing defeat if he entered the electoral fray.

The controversy follows Yadav’s remarks during his visit to Varanasi on Tuesday. When asked by reporters whether he would contest the next year’s Assembly elections, possibly from a constituency in the city, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister responded in his characteristic witty style.

“We become chief minister when we do not contest elections. So, we will do what is auspicious for us,” he said.

Reacting to his remarks, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Anil Rajbhar said Yadav lacked the courage to face the public and was making excuses through political statements.

“They do not have the courage to face the public. They know this very well and are simply making excuses and engaging in political theatrics. The Samajwadi Party and its leaders are anti-development, anti-farmer, anti-youth, anti-student and anti-women. They lack the courage to face the people because they know that if they go among the public, voters will reject them decisively,” he told media.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also criticised the SP chief, saying he was unwilling to contest elections or face the public.

“He will neither contest the elections nor go to the people. He is neither willing to enter the electoral fray nor face the public. The people have already rejected Akhilesh Yadav,” he said.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Pal said Yadav had taken the right decision by staying away from the electoral contest.

“He has made a very right decision; otherwise, his fate would have been like Kejriwal losing the Assembly election in Delhi, Mamata Banerjee losing in Bengal, and the INDIA Bloc’s chief ministerial face Gaurav Gogoi losing in Assam. He knows that the public is not just defeating the INDIA Bloc but soundly routing them, and even their incumbent Chief Ministers are losing,” Pal said.

However, Uttar Pradesh Minister Nitin Agrawal said contesting elections was an individual’s personal decision and Yadav was entitled to make his choice.

“Who will contest elections and who will not, is an individual’s personal decision. He has decided that he will not contest; that is his personal decision. In a democracy, one should win elections and come to the House. I believe that those who contest elections and win have greater credibility in a democracy. The rest is everyone’s personal choice,” he said.

BJP MLA Paltu Ram also criticised Yadav, alleging that his decision amounted to making a mockery of democracy. He further accused the SP of disregarding democratic values and constitutional institutions, alleging that its tenure in Uttar Pradesh was marked by lawlessness and a ‘goonda raj’.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput defended the SP chief, saying his decision to contest or not contest the elections would not affect his role in the party’s campaign.

“Whether or not Akhilesh Yadav contests the elections, he is currently an honourable Member of Parliament and will lead the party’s election campaign. The entire responsibility of the party rests on his shoulders. Whatever decision he takes will be acceptable to everyone in the INDIA alliance, as he is one of our key leaders,” he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Lalji Verma also supported Yadav’s decision, saying that not contesting an election could allow a leader to work across the entire state.

“When a leader does not contest an election himself, they get the opportunity to work freely across the entire state. So, certainly, whatever his decision is, it might be of this nature, and we do not have to comment on it,” he said.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has conducted search and seizure operations at 10 locations across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Punjab in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the alleged illegal procurement and sale of imported foreign liquor through Gurugram-based liquor vend chain ‘The Theka’.

The searches, carried out by the ED’s Gurugram Zonal Office on Tuesday and Wednesday under the PMLA, covered offices and residences of individuals associated with ‘The Theka’, foreign liquor suppliers, transporters, and others allegedly involved in the liquor syndicate.

According to the ED, the investigation stems from FIRs and charge sheets filed by Haryana Police over allegations of illegal sale of imported foreign liquor and misuse of the bond-to-bond transfer mechanism to evade customs duties and state excise taxes.

The case originated from a complaint by Excise Department officials, who seized 3,921 cases and 176 loose bottles of imported foreign liquor allegedly lacking mandatory holograms and Track & Trace strips from ‘The Theka’ on December 9, 2025. Another FIR was also registered against members of the syndicate for alleged involvement in the sale of spurious liquor.

The ED said its probe revealed that the syndicate exploited the bond-to-bond transfer system, which permits movement of imported liquor between states without immediate payment of customs and excise duties. To facilitate the operation, separate companies were established in Haryana and Goa/Maharashtra and requisite customs licences obtained.

While the liquor was officially meant to be transported to bonded warehouses in Goa or Maharashtra, investigators found that consignments were diverted in connivance with transporters and supplied directly to liquor vends in Gurugram. The liquor was then sold as legitimate imported stock, enabling the syndicate to evade customs duties, VAT, cesses, and other taxes.

The agency alleged that after securing a liquor licence for the 2025-27 period, the syndicate procured and sold imported liquor without holograms and Track & Trace strips to increase profits. More than one lakh bottles of imported liquor were procured and illegally sold between June and November 2025.

According to the ED, the operation yielded profits of 20-25 per cent on illegal sales and generated proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 10 crore.

During the searches, officials recovered and seized incriminating documents, digital records relating to the procurement and movement of imported liquor under customs bond arrangements, and cash amounting to Rs 11 lakh.

Further investigation is underway.

A 40-year-old labourer from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly strangled to death by his co-worker following a dispute over a demand for “unnatural sex” at a brick kiln in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Bholeram Chauhan, a native of Shahjahanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by Dholka Rural police on November 3.

The deceased, Pawan Kumar alias Commander, was from Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh and had travelled to Gujarat with other labourers to work at the brick kiln.

The incident took place between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on November 1 near a canal on the outskirts of Mandanpura village in Dholka taluka.

According to police, the two labourers had left the kiln during dinner, saying they were going to fetch something, but did not return for a long time. The labourers’ supervisor subsequently went looking for them.

While heading towards the canal, he encountered Bholeram coming from the opposite direction. During questioning, the accused allegedly told him that Pawan Kumar had demanded unnatural sex, leading to an argument and a physical altercation between the two.

Bholeram allegedly strangled Pawan Kumar using the belt of his trousers. The supervisor took the accused towards the canal, where Pawan Kumar’s body was found near the boundary of an agricultural field.

He subsequently brought Bholeram back to the brick kiln and informed the owner, who alerted the police. Pawan Kumar had arrived at the brick kiln with other workers on the afternoon of November 1.

The group had spent the afternoon constructing a room for their accommodation. “The workers were preparing to have dinner when Pawan Kumar and Bholeram left the premises,” officials said.

The deceased’s elder brother lodged a complaint at Dholka Rural Police Station on November 2, following which a murder case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

An official told media, “During questioning on November 3, Bholeram confessed to the crime. He was arrested at 5:30 p.m., and police initiated the process to seek his remand.”

The body was sent to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Further investigation is underway.