Campaign targeting SP-Congress alliance to consolidate PDA: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference on October 26, 2026 | Photo Credit: PTI Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday (October 26, 2026) expressed confidence that his party and its allies will further strengthen their coalition ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.He said attempts to create controversy over Congress' alleged 200-seat demand would only consolidate the PDA, and also questioned who was instrumental in erecting objectionable posters targeting the alliance.In a dig at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mr. Yadav said he wants only a "chair" to serve the people and not a "throne".A recent hoarding mounted in Lucknow carried the photographs of Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and read: "200 seats are our right; UP trusts Rahul Gandhi."Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Mr. Yadav asked who was putting up such posters and who was funding the campaign."These objectionable posters have not appeared for the first time. Who is putting them up? Who is spending money on them? Who is running this racket?" he asked."The more they put up such posters, spread misinformation and insult others, the stronger the PDA will become," Mr. Yadav said.PDA -- an acronym coined by Yadav and stands for Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak (Backward classes, Dalits and Minorities) -- is a key demographic focus of the Samajwadi Party.Responding to questions about its alliance with the Congress, Mr. Yadav said the Samajwadi Party and its leaders have experience in bringing political parties together and managing alliances."Samajwadi Party and all our leaders know how to bring people together. We all have experience in managing alliances. We will strengthen our alliance ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections," he said.Mr. Yadav said the objective was to remove the BJP from power permanently in Uttar Pradesh.On Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remarks that Mr. Yadav would not return to power, the former Chief Minister said he only wants a "kursi" (chair) to serve the people, not a "gaddi" (throne)."We are not saints or seers who need a gaddi. We need a kursi, and we need it to work for the people," he said.Addressing an event in Kanpur on Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti, Adityanath said the Samajwadi Party chief had come to power once through inheritance but cannot expect it to happen again.Mr. Yadav said his party was committed to establishing social justice and would seek to unite the PDA communities towards that goal. Published - October 26, 2026 05:59 pm IST