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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Yogi showcases his governance model, makes 2027 poll pitch
Amid a buzz about a restructuring in the BJP after its less than expected performance in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday set the pitch for the 2027 assembly polls, highlighted his government's achievements over the last eight years and spelt out future endeavours in his marathon address in the state assembly on Vision 2047. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath addresses the state assembly during the fourth day of the Monsoon session in Lucknow on Thursday. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo) A year after the ruling party's defeat in the state in 2024 and less than two years before the 2027 challenge, Adityanath showcased Uttar Pradesh's significant progress under his leadership in various fields, including law and order, economy, health, education, agriculture and infrastructure. The underlying message of his address appeared to be that his governance model can propel the BJP to take on the Opposition and pave the way for the party to retain power in 2027 Aiming to galvanise the party supporters, Yogi said, 'Uttar Pradesh is now the epicenter of India's energy. Today, Uttar Pradesh has become a beacon of hope and expectation for the nation, leading the way as India advances its vision of Viksit Bharat. Vision 2047 will lay the foundation for Viksit Uttar Pradesh within Viksit Bharat.' Lashing out at the Opposition, he said Uttar Pradesh was plagued by insecurity and high crime, women and traders lived in terror under the Samajwadi Party government. 'Today, UP is a model of robust law and order, ensuring safety for citizens and confidence for investors,' he said, adding that the state is advancing rapidly on the path of development at the speed of a bullet train. To counter the Opposition plans to make inroads among the weaker sections, particularly the Dalits and extremely backward castes, Yogi said from 1947 to 2017, poverty eradication and social security schemes in Uttar Pradesh had limited impact. After his government took the reins of the state, 6 crore people were lifted above the poverty line, he said. BJP leaders are not shy of accepting that the Opposition's caste narrative went against them in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the Constitution issue further led to the alienation of Dalits and backwards. Yogi said his tenure paved the way for excellent connectivity by water, land, and air. Capital expenditure increased from ₹69,789 crore in 2017 to ₹1,47,719 crore in 2025. The number of expressways rose from two to 22, including seven operational, five under construction, and 10 proposed expressways forming the country's largest network, he said. An investor-friendly environment under his government has made UP a top destination, he said. Schemes are implemented without discrimination or appeasement now, he said while asserting that the Opposition's PDA slogan is a ploy to deceive the public whereas his government has truly worked for Pichhda (backward), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minority) artisans. Reaching out to the rural populace, whose vote will be decisive, he said from 1947 to 2017 villages areas suffered from a severe lack of basic facilities such as housing, electricity, roads, and drinking water. From 2017 to 2025, his government provided permanent houses to more than 56.80 lakh families. Additionally, 235 crore man-days were generated under MGNREGA. To promote employment and livelihood in rural areas, more than 98 lakh families have joined self-help groups (SHGs), he said. Prashant Trivedi, associate professor at Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow, said the incumbent government has focused on infrastructure, but it is no more a political issue since successive governments have done well on this front. 'The 2027 challenge before the BJP government would be how they address people's issues like access to quality education, public health and decent employment. Surely, things are not as rosy as they appear on this front,' he said.
The Print
08-08-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘PDA pathshalas': Yogi govt cracks down, SP workers booked
The chief minister called the 'PDA pathshalas' an attempt to ruin the education system, accusing the SP of spreading propaganda through the PDA pathshalas and demolishing the 'temples of education'. This 'politicised alphabet' at 'PDA pathshalas' launched by the opposition Samajwadi party (SP) now finds itself at the centre of a growing row between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, with both launching sharp attacks at each other. Lucknow: Forget the old-fashioned ABC. In parts of Uttar Pradesh, it's A for Akhilesh Yadav, B for 'Baba Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar', C for Chaudhary Charan Singh, D for Dimple Yadav, M for Mulayam Singh Yadav and 'G' for gareeb (poor). Taking a jibe at the SP, Adityanath said at an event in Moradabad on Wednesday, 'Late Kalyan Singh taught children 'G for Ganpati', but the SP government taught 'G se gadha (donkey)'.' The chief minister said the government was setting up centres of ultra-modern education under the National Education Policy. As the Yogi administration booked over half a dozen SP leaders for 'politicising' school campuses, Akhilesh Yadav said Thursday that his party would not stop the 'PDA pathshalas', named after the SP's Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak slogan, saying they weren't teaching anything wrong. The controversy erupted when the Uttar Pradesh government announced the merger of primary schools with fewer than 50 students last month. The Samajwadi Party then launched its 'PDA ki pathshala' initiative to support children who could no longer access education because of the government's decision to merge primary schools. Accusing the government of pushing OBC and Dalit children out of the education system, some SP leaders began gathering children and holding makeshift classes in vacant school premises under the 'PDA ki pathshala' programme. The issue flared up after a video from Saharanpur went viral Tuesday, allegedly showing SP leader Farhad Gaga teaching the 'politicised alphabets' to children. In the video, students were taught lines such as 'A for Akhilesh', 'B for Babasaheb', 'D for Dimple' and 'M for Mulayam Singh Yadav'. The incident led to an FIR being lodged against the SP leader. The complainant against Gada alleged that the children being taught by the SP leader under the 'PDA pathshala' programme were actually brought in from a private school and were seen wearing that school's uniform. Similarly, police in Lucknow Wednesday filed an FIR against SP spokesperson Pooja Shukla, who was actively running a 'PDA ki pathshala' in Lucknow North area. In another case in Mau, the education department filed a case against the Samajwadi Party's student union district president, Akhilesh Bharti, accusing him of running a school without permission. In a viral video, Bharti was seen wearing the Samajwadi Party's red cap and teaching some school children under the 'PDA ki pathshala' initiative, telling them that the English letter M stands for Mulayam. After the video went viral, the basic education department came into action. The department issued an order on 31 July warning that individuals holding unauthorised classes on government school premises could face strict action. Also Read: 'PDA' politics at play—why Akhilesh expelled only three of eight 'rebel' SP MLAs 'PDA pathshalas to continue' Amid a controversy surrounding the 'PDA pathshalas', Akhilesh Yadav said they would continue across the state as his party workers were not scared of police and that the chief minister should attend one to observe the conditions. 'For us, G is for gareeb, but for the BJP, G stands for gadha. That is why they are targeting us,' he said while speaking to the media outside Parliament on Thursday. Earlier, the SP chief targeted the BJP government in Lucknow Tuesday, saying it was against education. 'Those who are against education are the biggest mafia. The government is filing FIRs regarding education. If it thinks that it will close the PDA pathshalas and PDA tuitions with the help of police, it is its misconception,' he said. 'The SP workers have resolved that till the government does not send teachers and principals to the closed schools, the PDA pathshalas will continue,' Yadav said while speaking to the media. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Pooja Shukla, named in one of the FIRs, defended the initiative. 'Our sole intention was to provide quality education to underprivileged children who may be deprived of learning opportunities after the school mergers. Is teaching young children a crime in Yogi Raj?' she told ThePrint. 'We were teaching them sincerely, just like any regular teacher. There was no intention to misguide them. This government is ruining the future of small children,' she added. In Sahranpur, Farhad Gada, also named in an FIR, told ThePrint that 'PDA pathshala' initiative wasn't just for teaching ABC, but it was also to educate children about the 'great men of Samajwadi ideology'. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: In closed-door meet, Akhilesh sets record straight on alliance with Congress, Azam 'sahab'
Scroll.in
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Uttar Pradesh: SP member booked for teaching ‘politicised alphabets' at Saharanpur ‘PDA Pathshala'
A Samajwadi Party member has been booked by the Uttar Pradesh police for allegedly operating an unauthorised school in Saharanpur, where children were taught 'politicised' alphabets, The Times of India reported on Monday. The first information report, registered at the Dehat Kotwali police station, was based on a complaint filed by a resident identified as Maan Singh, who accused Farhan Alam Gada of politicising education and misleading children. He alleged that the children were being taught phrases like 'A for Akhilesh', 'B for Babasaheb', 'D for Dimple' and 'M for Mulayam Singh Yadav', referring to Samajwadi Party leaders and BR Ambedkar. Singh alleged that this sparked public outrage and hurt public sentiment, The Times of India reported. The incident came to light after a video, reportedly filmed at Gada's residence in Ramnagar village, was widely shared on social media, PTI reported. In the footage, uniformed children were seen participating in the lesson. सहरानपुर में समाजवादी पार्टी के एक नेता PDA पाठशाला शुरू की है,जिसमें बच्चों को A for Apple नही A for अखिलेश और D for DELHI नहीं D for डिंपल यादव पढ़ाया जा रहा #PDA l #NDA l — प्रतीक खरे/Pratik khare 😷 (@pratik_khare_) July 31, 2025 Gada had launched the first such school, called 'PDA Pathshala' after the Samajwadi Party's outreach to Pichhda (backward), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minority) communities, India Today reported. These community-run schools aim to provide free education to underprivileged children while also introducing them to the party's core ideology. He has previously said that the schools were not just for teaching the alphabet but also to educate children about the 'great men of Samajwadi ideology'. 'Just as convent schools have their own curriculum, our PDA Pathshala introduces children to socialist ideology,' The Times of India quoted him as saying. Gada has been charged under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for promoting enmity between groups, and under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act. Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata-led state government of being anti-education. 'Even the British didn't file an FIR for studying,' he said in a post on X. 'The anti-education face of BJP has now been exposed to the public. Now BJP will be gone forever.' पढ़ाई के लिए तो FIR अंग्रेजों तक ने नहीं की थी। भाजपा का शिक्षा विरोधी चेहरा अब जनता के सामने उजागर हो गया है। अब भाजपा हमेशा के लिए जाएगी। निंदनीय! — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 3, 2025 In a related case, another leader from the Samajwadi Party, Rachna Singh Gautam, was booked for allegedly holding another unauthorised 'PDA Pathshala' outside a government school in Shahampur Garhi village in Kanpur, Hindustan Times reported. The complaint accused her of politicising children, misusing school premises and spreading misinformation. The Samajwadi Party launched ' PDA Pathshalas ' in protest against the state government's now-rolled back move to merge primary schools. The merger policy, aimed at consolidating schools with fewer than 50 students, had faced backlash for potentially increasing dropout rates, especially among children from poor, rural and marginalised communities, due to greater travel distances and reduced local access to education. The Uttar Pradesh government has defended the policy, saying it is in line with the 2020 National Education Policy and aims to enhance education quality, while optimising the use of resources.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
RSS reshuffles over 60 dist pracharaks in UP
Lucknow: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has made major organisational changes, reshuffling more than 60 district pracharaks in Uttar Pradesh. The development marks Sangh's strategic recalibration even as the BJP gears up to intensify the spadework for the next year's panchayat elections and 2027 assembly polls. Sources said the changes were made recently to reinvigorate the organisational machinery while ensuring better and more efficient coordination at the ground level. District pracharaks are pivotal in mobilising cadres and aligning ideological outreach at the grassroots. RSS sources said the duty areas of at least 10 to 15 pracharaks have been changed in every prant. The Sangh recognises six prants – west UP (including Uttarakhand), Braj, Awadh, Goraksh, Kashi and Bundelkhand. A senior RSS functionary in Awadh Prant said the changes were part of a routine process which the Sangh undertakes to ramp up efficiency of its functionaries. This year, it is important in the wake of Sangh's centenary year celebrations. He, however, did not rule out the possibility of the exercise being linked to forthcoming electoral battles in Uttar Pradesh. "The ideological alignment of RSS and BJP happens ahead of any electoral contest," the RSS functionary said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [속보]'한 달만에 5cm 성장!?' 2개월치 무료증정 압도적 키성장 1위! 아이클타임 더 알아보기 Undo Analysts said the RSS and BJP are trying to strengthen their presence in UP which contributes the highest number of Lok Sabha seats (80) and holds a central place in parties' electoral ambitions. RSS's organisational activity, sources said, has become significant in UP after 2024 LS elections, in which BJP faced a setback with its tally plummeting to 33 from 62 in 2019. Sources said that the Sangh sought to keep a close watch on BJP's poll activity and lend adequate support as and when needed. RSS's organisational network, experts said, could also help the BJP overcome electoral challenges posed by the Samajwadi Party and Congress. Analysts said Sangh's nationalist narrative may particularly arm the BJP to counter the opposition's caste card – primarily the Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) narrative, which is said to have dented the BJP in 2024. The RSS rejig also reflects on the performance evaluations and response to changing ground realities. Experts said that UP's political landscape is fluid, with growing caste-based and regional assertiveness of different political groups. Deploying pracharaks who understand these nuances may help the RSS regain lost ground or consolidate gains. Replacing older or underperforming functionaries with younger, more dynamic workers is consistent with RSS's organised efforts to modernise operations and connect with newer generations. It also prepares the cadre to be more tech-savvy and communication-efficient in an era of digital outreach.
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
What Akhilesh Yadav's new base of operations in Azamgarh reveals about SP plans
A new residence-cum-office that Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated in his party's stronghold Azamgarh last week appears to be part of the Samajwadi Party (SP) president's larger repositioning with the 2027 Assembly elections in mind. On Thursday, the SP chief inaugurated the house that has been named the PDA Bhavan after the party's strategy of reaching out to the 'Pichhda (OBCs), Dalits, and Alpsankhayk (minorities)' in an attempt to expand its electoral base and be more than just a Muslim-Yadav party. With this, Akhilesh has also signalled his interest in maintaining a personal base of operations in Azamgarh, where the party won all 10 Assembly seats in 2022. The district's two Lok Sabha constituencies, Azamgarh and Lalganj, have also historically voted for the SP, which currently holds both of them. Beyond the symbolism, the new building will also smoothen operations for the SP in Azamgarh, where earlier the party operated out of a single room and did not have adequate space to host senior leaders. The importance of Azamgarh goes beyond just the district. It is part of eastern UP (Purvanchal), where the BJP took a hit in the 2022 Assembly elections and the SP made a gain of 39 seats, jumping from 16 in 2017 to 55, and the BJP's tally reduced from 114 in 2017 to 86. These are the gains Akhilesh wants to hold on to as he prepares for the 2027 battle. 'This development shows that Akhilesh is going to make Azamgarh a centre of party activities in eastern UP,' said an SP leader. 'He will frequently visit here, travel to adjoining areas, and hold meetings personally.' SP district president Hawaldar Yadav said Azamgarh had 'only a few hotels, but they lack the adequate arrangements and facilities'. 'Due to these issues, Akhilesh ji used to avoid night stay in Azamgarh. Last time he had an overnight stay here in 2019 after he was elected MP from here,' said the SP leader. And for the party, the goal remains clear: make Akhilesh the Chief Minister in 2027. For that to happen, Azamgarh and the larger Purvanchal region have to deliver for the party. During the inauguration, Akhilesh also signalled broader aspirations, with Azamgarh at the centre. 'Patna and Lucknow are almost the same distance from Azamgarh,' he said, hinting that the party wants to play an active role in helping the RJD in the Bihar Assembly elections later this year. SP gets going The all-important test for the party will be the Assembly elections two years down the line, and it has gradually started making moves to get into shape for the battle with the BJP. In July, it launched a year-long drive to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims and consolidate its core Muslim-Yadav base. The party plans to hold meetings with Pasmandas in all 403 Assembly constituencies, followed by district-level conventions, and finally, a state-level public meeting will be organised when the Assembly elections approach. The party has also devised a strategy to focus on 108 Assembly seats that it has lost in the last three Assembly elections. It has appointed observers for each of these constituencies, and they have been asked to submit their reports to Akhilesh within a set timeframe. Sources said the observers had already made at least a couple of visits to each of these seats in the past fortnight and held meetings with the district office-bearers and prominent leaders there. The SP is also calibrating its policies and strategies for various social groups. Akhilesh has promised that if voted to power his administration will install a statue of Raja Suheldev on the Gomti riverfront in Lucknow. This is a signal to the Rajbhar community, which is estimated to make up 18% of the electorate in eastern UP. The party has also promised to build a memorial dedicated to former Congress MP Shivdayal Chaurasia, who was a staunch social justice advocate and worked for the uplift of Dalits and OBCs. The SP is also fine-tuning its strategy to reach out to women, the driving force behind the victors in recent state elections, promising direct money transfers into their bank accounts, along with free mobile phones, laptops, and skill development programmes.
