Samajwadi Party makeover to ‘M’ factor: Why Akhilesh is leaning on Dimple for UP elections

As an MP for 14 years (across four terms since 2012), Dimple Yadav (left) kept a low profile until recently, and was seen as the eyes and ears of her husband Akhilesh Yadav (centre). (Photo: Facebook/Akhilesh Yadav) 7 min readNew DelhiSep 8, 2026 02:05 PM IST First published on: Sep 5, 2026 at 04:27 PM IST The cameras always catch Dimple Yadav whenever Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav speaks in the Lok Sabha. For Dimple, SP MP and Akhilesh’s wife, sits right behind him in the House. But her expressions give little away. As an MP for four terms since 2012, she kept a low profile until recently, and was seen as the eyes and ears of her husband. Whenever one met her, she would always ask for feedback on what was happening in Delhi, and listen intently to what you had to say. Smart leaders rely on their informal modes of information to augment what they hear through their official channels.