Will Akhilesh Yadav Spell Trouble For BJP? Samajwadi Party Leader Makes Big Claim

The 'Samajwadi PDA Yatra' marks the commencement of Akhilesh's campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Image credit: ANI

Lucknow: Taking a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that the bicycle yatra dubbed the Samajwadi PDA Yatra will continue to remove the BJP adding that the INDIA bloc will win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Notably, the 'Samajwadi PDA Yatra,' signifies the launch of Akhilesh's campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"This yatra will continue to remove the BJP. We will go among the people, connect with them, and create awareness. We will remove the BJP. This yatra came today to Lucknow. For many days, party workers have participated in the yatra in their districts. People are connecting in large numbers, and we will get support," the party chief told ANI while participating in the rally.

"PDA will defeat NDA and the INDIA bloc will win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," he added. Earlier in the day, the SP Chief hit out at a question posed by a journalist about the place of 'forward' or general caste people in the party's PDA claiming his party stood with everyone.

The party chief was responding to the media at a press conference at Lucknow on Monday at the launch of his bicycle yatra dubbed the Samajwadi PDA Yatra. PDA which stands for Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak is a term coined by the SP to define the people who the party is looking to address. Today, Akhilesh Yadav added another A to the grouping saying that in PDA, 'A' also stands for 'Agdaa' meaning the forward class.

"In PDA, 'A' is also for 'Agdaa' (forward). This is the problem that we are not accepting that we are forward, even when we are," Akhilesh said. He further explained that the problem lies in the fact that the people have the notion that the Yadav community is backward. He added that a backward person cannot build a stadium like the Lucknow Ekana Stadium.

"This is the problem. You think that Yadav means 'backwards'. Did you not go to the stadium to watch the match? How are we 'backward'? A 'backward' cannot build a stadium like that (Lucknow Ekana Stadium)," he said.

Akhilesh was referring to the stadium where India scored a 100-run win against England in the 29th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 in Lucknow on Sunday. Leaders across the political aisle hailed Team India's victory. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was in attendance at the stadium.

The Lucknow Ekana Stadium was built during the Samajwadi Party's regime when Akhilesh Yadav was the Chief Minister. The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief had coined the term 'PDA' saying that it is the name of the unity born out of shared consciousness and feeling against the exploitation and oppression of those who are "Pichhde" (backwards), Dalit and "Alpasankhyak" (minority).