PDA strategy, INDIA bloc strength will work in 2027 too: Akhilesh

Akhilesh Yadav criticizes UP's school merger plan as an attack on education for the poor, accusing BJP of undermining social justice ahead of elections.

Attacking the Uttar Pradesh government over its decision to merge primary and upper primary schools having less than 50 students, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that it was being done to devoid the poor of education.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. (HT file)

Yadav also accused the BJP of strategically targeting the ideals of reservation, socialism and secularism, especially when elections are near. “Whenever elections in Bihar come close, they start speaking against reservation, the Constitution and secularism. When they fear a backlash from their vote base, they attack these values indirectly by undermining social justice,” he alleged while addressing his party workers after inaugurating the new party office in Azamgarh.

He proposed naming the newly inaugurated party office in Azamgarh as ‘PDA Bhawan’, declaring that only Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) unity will open the path to social justice and political power. He appealed to the PDA voters to keep an eye on the voters list so that they could exercise their franchise in 2027.The SP chief claimed that the PDA strategy and INDIA bloc’s strength will also work in the 2027 UP assembly polls.

Referring to the early days of the BJP, Akhilesh reminded the audience of its foundational debates. “At their first convention, the BJP deliberated on what ideological path to adopt. Some wanted to stick with their original ideology but many knew that India would never accept that path.”

Therefore, he said, the BJP chose socialism and secularism but they have forgotten that resolution today. Yadav also extended his party’s full support to the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the upcoming assembly assembly polls in Bihar.