Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday appeared to recalibrate his party’s social outreach by declaring that the “P” in the much-touted PDA formula now stands for “Pandit”, while also launching a sharp attack on the BJP over the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The twin pitch came as part of an apparent effort to strengthen the party’s outreach to the Brahmin community ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Addressing a Prabuddh Sammelan (intellectuals’ conference) at the party headquarters to mark the birth anniversary of SP ideologue Janeshwar Mishra, Yadav said, “Critics who invent new expansions of PDA after electoral setbacks should know that the ‘P’ in PDA stands for Pandit and that ‘PD’ is also shorthand for Pandit.”
“The more sorrow you give us, the stronger our PDA will become,” he told the gathering, which included Brahmin representatives from across the state.
The event, organised under a large temporary structure at the SP office after permission for Janeshwar Mishra Park in Gomti Nagar was reportedly denied, featured chants of “Ganga Maiya Ki Jai” and “Parshuram Bhagwan Ki Jai.”
Earlier in the day, Yadav paid floral tributes at the statue of Janeshwar Mishra, a prominent Brahmin socialist leader and one of the party’s founding figures.
He accused the ruling BJP of committing “atrocities” against Brahmins and pledged that a future Samajwadi government would ensure “proper representation and respect” for the community.
{{/usCountry}}He accused the ruling BJP of committing “atrocities” against Brahmins and pledged that a future Samajwadi government would ensure “proper representation and respect” for the community.
{{/usCountry}}He referred to the 2020 encounter of Vikas Dubey, restrictions allegedly imposed on a Shankaracharya — including the denial of a ritual dip at the Triveni Sangam and an alleged “fake Pocso case” — and claimed that the community’s self-respect had been undermined.
“Self-respect is the greatest asset of a Brahmin,” he said, adding that members of other communities were also unhappy with the present government.
Turning to the Ram temple, Yadav alleged that the BJP had committed the “biggest sin” by stealing donation money meant for the shrine in Ayodhya. He claimed that when the alleged theft came to light, only “small people” were arrested and jailed while those higher up escaped scrutiny, and that caste was invoked to deflect the issue. “The theft is so big that we can’t even imagine. These small workers can’t commit such a big theft; I am sure big people are also involved,” he said, adding that despite the chief minister’s record number of visits to Ayodhya, he claimed to be unaware of the matter.
Referring to a statement by UP assembly speaker Satish Mahana, Yadav said demands for receipts for temple donations were “disgusting”.
“We Hindus never take a receipt for a donation at a temple. The BJP people have stolen Ram dhan and Lord Ram will not let them win. He will punish them for their maha paap,” he asserted.
He linked the alleged “punishment” to problems in several high-value infrastructure projects, citing potholes on a 63-km road to Kanpur built at a cost of more than ₹4,000 crore, a 90-km road in Gorakhpur costing ₹7,000 crore, and reported issues on the Ganga Expressway after the first rains despite an outlay of ₹35,000 crore.
The SP chief also alleged deliberate paper leaks, criticised the handling of youth protests and promised ample employment opportunities for young people. He linked Sanatan values with socialist ideology, saying both were aligned in the goal of building a “Bandhu Rashtra”.
The Prabuddh Sammelan forms part of the Samajwadi Party’s broader attempt to expand beyond its traditional PDA base of backwards, Dalits and minorities, which helped it secure 37 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2024.
Party strategists view sustained reliance on that combination as risking perceptions of a narrow social coalition. Ballia MP Sanatan Pandey, the SP’s only Brahmin Lok Sabha member, coordinated much of the mobilisation for the outreach.
Yadav said that the party had earlier given Brahmins due respect and representation and would do so again.
“Last time we missed the bus, but this time we are not going to make any mistake; we will ensure proper representation,” he said, positioning the Brahmin outreach and sharp attacks on the government as central to the party’s strategy for the 2027 assembly contest.