Akhilesh Yadav’s defense in favour of Mayawaticreates political ripples

Before the upcoming assembly by-polls in ten seats in Uttar Pradesh, BJP MLA Rajesh Chaudhary's recent remark calling former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati the most corrupt CM of the state, has put him in controversy. However, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav surprised everyone by showing great support to Mayawati, even seeking a defamation case against Chaudhary for insulting a woman CM, who belongs to a deprived class of society. Mayawati also expressed thanks to Akhilesh for supporting her, However, SP chief expressed his gratitude and posted that the bonhomie was a good sign for the Pichda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak (PDA) combine. “PDA is the future of the oppressed and deprived. We are united and will remain so,” Akhilesh said. PDA stands for backward classes, Dalits, and minorities who had voted in favour of the SP in Lok Sabha polls helping the party secure 37 seats in UP. Akhilesh has prominently emerged on the national political stage by halting the BJP's victory march in Uttar Pradesh. The setback of BJP in Uttar Pradesh, where the seat tally declined from 62 in the 2019 Lok Sabha election to 33 in the 2024 parliamentary election, prevented the BJP from gaining a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha. (IPA Service)