What began as a land controversy involving Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav quickly turned into a political three-way contest with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav rushing to the BJP leader’s defence even as Congress intensified its attack.
After reports alleged that members of Mohan Yadav’s family and associated real-estate firms acquired 137 plots covering around 168 acres in Ujjain over the past two years, Congress leaders accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of presiding over an alleged “engine of plunder”. But instead of joining the criticism, Akhilesh Yadav offered an unexpected twist.
The SP chief dismissed the allegations against the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and suggested the controversy had less to do with land and more to do with politics inside the BJP. According to Akhilesh, the allegations are part of a larger plan to replace three BJP chief ministers, including Mohan Yadav. “Wasn’t BJP aware that he was in the real-estate business before becoming Chief Minister?” Akhilesh asked, arguing that the timing of the allegations was suspicious.
While Akhilesh appeared to be shielding Mohan Yadav from the political heat, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal turned up the temperature. Questioning the silence of central agencies, Venugopal asked why the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI had not acted against the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister if the allegations were serious.
In a sharp attack on the BJP, Venugopal accused the party of using investigative agencies against opposition leaders while allegedly ignoring accusations involving its own ranks. He questioned whether a purported land scam involving hundreds of acres was not sufficient for agencies to initiate action.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also targeted the Madhya Pradesh government, alleging that an “engine of plunder” was operating under the BJP’s double-engine administration and claiming that Mohan Yadav himself was at the centre of the controversy.
The result was an unusual political spectacle: Congress attacking Mohan Yadav, Mohan Yadav facing questions over land deals, and Akhilesh Yadav stepping in to suggest the real story was not about land at all but about the BJP’s alleged search for new chief ministers.
As the political sparring intensified, Akhilesh also shifted focus to Uttar Pradesh, asserting that any leadership changes within the BJP would not alter the party’s electoral prospects and predicting that the Samajwadi Party’s “cycle” would speed past its rivals in the 2027 Assembly elections.