Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday made a significant announcement regarding police recruitment reforms if his party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2027. Speaking at the SP headquarters in Lucknow, Yadav pledged to introduce structural changes in the recruitment process to ensure greater participation of women in the police force.
“If the SP forms the government in 2027, we will bring structural reforms to facilitate more recruitment of women in the police department,” Yadav said while addressing a press conference in the presence of SP MP Dimple Yadav and several other senior women leaders and party workers.
Yadav’s remarks are seen as an attempt to strengthen the party’s appeal among women voters, a section all major parties are trying to woo ahead of the 2027 state elections. The SP president did not elaborate on the nature of the reforms but indicated they would be aimed at removing institutional barriers that hinder women’s entry into the police force.
Akhilesh Yadav also commented on the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, urging the Indian government to bring back Indian citizens stranded in the conflict zone and to adopt a clear and principled foreign policy stance.
“India must take a clear stand in the Iran-Israel war. It is our duty to evacuate our citizens trapped in such dangerous circumstances. And if we don’t stand with our friendly nations during difficult times, it would be a betrayal of our foreign policy. Everyone is a friend in good times—real friendship is tested in crises,” Yadav said.
His statement comes amid growing global concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and India’s diplomatic balancing act between its ties with Israel and its historical relationship with Iran.
In a surprising remark over the fate of the Jaiprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav said that if the government wants to sell the complex, the SP is ready to purchase it.
“If the government wants to sell JPNIC, let them. We are interested in buying it,” Yadav said. He added that the party has already instructed its members to send a formal communication to the Vice Chairman of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on the matter.
The JPNIC, a public infrastructure project initiated during the SP regime, has remained in controversy due to halted construction and shifting political priorities. Yadav’s remarks signal the party’s intention to revive its legacy projects.
Akhilesh Yadav’s statements come at a time when the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh is heating up with early preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections. His promise of police reforms targeted at women, his foreign policy critique, and his defense of SP-era infrastructure projects all point to a multi-pronged political strategy to position the SP as a responsible and progressive alternative to the ruling BJP.
With women’s empowerment, global affairs, and infrastructure legacy as key talking points, the SP chief appears to be laying the groundwork for the next political battle in India’s most populous state.
