Akhilesh Yadav and Brajesh Pathak trade barbs over food in UP election spat

A social media spat has erupted between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, with both posting videos of the other eating cashews ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Yadav initiated the exchange with a satirical jibe at Pathak's eating habits, linking it to alleged caste-based discrimination against a pregnant woman. Yadav accused the BJP government of denying hospital delivery to a pregnant Musahar woman, calling it a serious and inhuman matter, and criticized the health minister for being distracted. Pathak retaliated by mocking Yadav's image of simplicity, posting a video of the SP chief at a lavish table and contrasting it with his political pretence of dal-roti. The exchange highlights the political rivalry as the SP, using its PDA formula for backward, Dalit, and minority communities, challenges the BJP's bid for a third consecutive term in the state. Both parties are intensifying their campaigns for the upcoming elections.