Lucknow: In the run-up to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP and Samajwadi Party are turning to a new political weapon: AI-generated songs and videos. After BJP-backed handles nicknaming Akhilesh Yadav ‘Teepu’, the SP chief hit back with a song referring to Adityanath as ‘Baba’—in a sign of how campaign battles are increasingly spilling from speeches and rallies into digitally manufactured political entertainment.
Recently, BJP-backed social media handles shared a song targeting Akhilesh Yadav, with these lyrics: “UP badnaam hua, Teepu tere maare… (UP has become infamous because of Teepu).” The video featured an AI-generated depiction of the SP chief. The song talks of lawlessness in Akhilesh’s regime.
On Monday, Akhilesh responded with another song targeting Chief Minister Adityanath during a press conference at the Samajwadi Party headquarters. The song said: “UP badnaam hua, Baba tere maare… (UP has become infamous because of Baba)”. The video showed AI-generated visuals of the CM.
Akhilesh has often referred to Adityanath as ‘Baba’ while taking jibes at the chief minister. The AI-generated video shows Yogi Adityanath smoking a ‘chillum’ (smoking pipe), while the song took aim at the state government over several issues, including unemployment and paper leaks.
“If the BJP uses AI to make songs targeting me, we will also respond to those songs with songs,” Akhilesh said.
The SP chief alleged that AI-generated videos were being prepared and circulated to defame opposition leaders. He warned the government against using AI for such purposes, saying that if the government chose to use AI against the Opposition, his party would leave it behind in the use of the technology.
According to sources in the Samajwadi Party, the party is planning a series of similar songs targeting the Yogi Adityanath government as part of its political campaign ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections. The songs are expected to use AI-generated visuals and focus on issues the SP plans to highlight against the state government.
Earlier targeted CM with ‘Rasputin’
At a press conference earlier this month, Akhilesh played a video showing a group of Japanese students taking selfies with Yogi Adityanath. The students were also seen placing their hands on the chief minister’s shoulder. The 1978 hit ‘Rasputin’ played in the background in the video.
Akhilesh then decided to play the song separately. After the song played for three minutes, he pointed to the phrase “hunger for power” in the lyrics. Drawing an indirect parallel with Uttar Pradesh politics, Akhilesh suggested that someone in UP had a similar “hunger for power”, hinting at the CM though not naming him.
Released in 1978 by the popular band Boney M., ‘Rasputin’ is based on the life of Grigori Rasputin, the Russian mystic who became a close confidant of Tsar Nicholas II (Russian emperor) and his family in the early 20th century. The song portrays Rasputin as a charismatic mystic, womaniser and influential political figure who wielded considerable influence at the Russian imperial court. In 1916, a group of Russian nobles plotted to kill Rasputin because they believed he was harming the monarchy.
During Monday’s press conference, Akhilesh also accused the state government of large-scale corruption and alleged that the current government was the “most corrupt” in the state’s history.
He also raised the issue of schools being shut down, saying the Samajwadi Party would organise programmes at schools that had been closed and inform people about the government’s performance.
Akhilesh also commented on Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary’s seat-sharing prospects with the BJP ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He said Jayant’s respect within the alliance would increase only if the BJP gave his party 61 seats.
“If they get fewer than 61 seats, it will be considered an insult to Jayant Chaudhary,” Akhilesh said.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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