Akhilesh Yadav says BJP weakening reservation system, releases 'PDA Audit'

Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the BJP-led state government of weakening the reservation system, saying that people were being forced to approach courts to secure rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

He also asserted that the 2027 assembly election in Uttar Pradesh would not lead to the formation of government by any one political party but by the "PDA community." PDA is an acronym coined by Yadav in 2023, and stands for Picchde (backward classes), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (minorities).

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Yadav released a document titled "PDA Audit and Loot of Reservation" and said more data will be added to it.

Targeting the ruling BJP, Yadav said if students and aspirants have to knock on the doors of courts to get constitutional provisions implemented, it should be understood that the government is biased. "And one who is biased is also unfaithful. Bias itself is injustice because it snatches away rights," he alleged.

The SP chief described the reservation as a means of social justice and equality. "Reservation is protection. It is also a tool and a medium for social coordination," he said.

Referring to the BJP government's bulldozer action, Yadav said, "If the BJP government wants to use bulldozers, then they should use them to level the uneven ground of inequality and provide everyone their rightful reservation."

He further alleged that attempts were being made to weaken the reservation through mechanisms such as lateral entry appointments. "Through lateral entry, people of their choice are being adjusted through the back door so that reservation demands weaken gradually," he claimed.

"Reservation is not charity, it is a right," Yadav asserted.

Later, In an X post, he said Samajwadi Party has prepared its workers across all 403 assembly constituencies to strengthen the party organisation at the booth level ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

He said his party wants alliance partners to benefit from its organisational network and the focus was "not on seats, but on victory".

Yadav asserted that the 2027 election would not lead to the formation of government by any one political party but by the PDA community. The PDA represented "95 per cent" of the population and consists of those who were "victims, distressed and insulted", he said.

He further described the PDA movement as a "new freedom movement" against domination and discrimination, aimed at protecting the Constitution and reservation. He said the movement sought to establish "social justice rule" and ensure equality of opportunity and social harmony among all sections of society.

In a statement issued by the Samajwadi Party, Yadav said the BJP was "following Hitler's path" and attempting to destroy democratic institutions. It said the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly election would be a fight to "save the Constitution and the country".

He also accused the BJP of trying to control the media and misuse social media for political gains, and asked party workers to remain alert to the ruling party's "strategies".

He also claimed that there was widespread discontent among youths, farmers, traders and teachers under the BJP government.

Referring to the 69,000 teachers' recruitment in 2018, he alleged that OBC candidates received only 3.86 per cent reservation against the constitutionally mandated 27 per cent quota, while Scheduled Castes received 16.21 per cent reservation against the prescribed 21 per cent quota.

The state government had admitted irregularities in the recruitment process before the 2022 assembly elections and issued an additional selection list of 6,800 candidates, he said, adding that if his party is voted to power in 2027, it would ensure justice to the affected candidates within 90 days.

Yadav presented a booklet titled "PDA Audit Part-1", which alleged that more than 11,500 reserved posts meant for PDA categories were affected across 22 recruitment examinations conducted by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

Citing recruitment at Banda Agricultural University in 2022, the booklet alleged that out of the 15 advertised posts, seven were reserved for OBC, SC and ST candidates, but only two were selected, resulting in "loss" of five reserved posts.

The booklet also raised questions in the 2023 enforcement constable recruitment, claiming that while 239 posts should have gone to OBC, SC and ST candidates under reservation norms, but only 205 such candidates were selected.

Reacting to Yadav's remarks, Bahujan Samaj Party's state unit chief Vishwanath Pal alleged that the Akhilesh Yadav government had harmed the interests of SCs, STs and OBCs by stopping batch-wise recruitments and reversing benefits introduced during the BSP regime.

He claimed that reservation in government contracts for the SC community and promotions granted to SC and ST officials during Mayawati's tenure were withdrawn under the Samajwadi Party government.

Pal also termed Yadav's outreach towards Dalits and backward communities as "drama" and said the BSP continued to work on the ideology of Kanshi Ram and Mayawati.