Iftar parties fall out UP’s political corridors as power balance evolves

In Lucknow, iftar parties have dwindled since 2017, symbolising changing political dynamics and a shift away from communal harmony events.

Lucknow:

Since 2017, iftar parties have been relegated to the political background. The year 2025 saw only five parties organised by political leaders or parties. (Representative/ AFP)

The year is 2017. The Samajwadi Party has just lost the assembly elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Akhilesh Yadav is still working to establish himself within the party. On June 19, he hosts a grand iftar party at the SP’s office located on Vikaramditya Marg. But the attention of the attendees is neither on the phalanx of political leaders on attendance nor on the food. Instead, the meet was marked by the absence of party patriarch