A joint election rally held by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav in Phulpur, Uttar Pradesh, descended into chaos on Sunday as an unruly crowd breached security barricades, creating a stampede-like situation. The two leaders, who arrived to support SP candidate Amarnath Singh Maurya for the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat, were forced to leave without addressing the gathering due to the security threat.
Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav Left The Rally in a Helicopter After 20 Mins
Despite repeated appeals from both leaders for the crowd to calm down, the situation continued to escalate. Videos from the rally showed broken barricades and a surging crowd attempting to reach the stage, prompting personal security guards and local police to struggle in vain to restore order. Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav were visibly upset and ultimately left the rally after about 20 minutes, departing by helicopter.
Rewati Raman Singh, a senior Congress leader, later explained the situation: “The crowd had become too large, and there weren’t enough police officers, which caused the crowd to become uncontrollable and rush the stage. As a result, Akhilesh and Rahul had to leave without giving their speeches.” Singh attributed the lack of adequate security to police being engaged in election duties elsewhere, adding, “There was a mistake in the management. There were not enough police, maybe they had been somewhere on election duty.”
Before leaving, both leaders held a brief conversation on stage, discussing pressing issues such as unemployment and inflation. Akhilesh Yadav warned of potential threats to farmers’ rights if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power: “If they [the BJP] come to power again, they may bring such a law which will take away the rights of our farmers. They have not only cheated the farmers but also our youth, women, government employees, and other sections of society.”
Rahul Gandhi criticized the Modi-led government for neglecting the poor and favoring a selected capitalist elite. He pointed out rampant issues in Uttar Pradesh, saying, “Paper leaks of recruitment examinations are rampant here [Uttar Pradesh].” He also accused the BJP of endangering democracy and the Constitution, stating, “The BJP acts on its own will… They think that there is no need for discussion because they know everything.”
Akhilesh Yadav echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of discussions in a democracy: “The more there are discussions, the more we listen to others and trust others, the stronger will be our democracy. The BJP has not only endangered our lives but is also posing a threat to our democracy and our Constitution.”
The rally was part of the campaign for the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for May 25. The Phulpur parliamentary segment, once represented by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, holds significant historical importance. The joint rally aimed to boost support for Amarnath Singh Maurya in Phulpur and Congress candidate Ujjwal Raman Singh in the Prayagraj constituency.
The seat-sharing agreement between the SP and Congress sees the Samajwadi Party contesting 63 seats while the Congress is contesting 17 out of the total 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. This alliance is a strategic move by the opposition to challenge the BJP’s dominance in the state, with the SP and Congress leaders expressing confidence in their combined strength.
Despite the chaotic turn of events in Phulpur, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav later participated in another rally in Mungari village under the Prayagraj LokSabha seat.
