Mata Prasad Pandey Defends PDA Allegiance Amid Accusations

Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh, Mata Prasad Pandey, reaffirmed Samajwadi Party's commitment to PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) amid accusations of betrayal. Pandey countered claims by Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, while also questioning the ruling party on state-wide power cuts.

On Monday, Mata Prasad Pandey, Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, reiterated that the Samajwadi Party has consistently supported the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) communities. His statement comes in response to allegations from political opponents claiming that SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav has betrayed these groups.

Addressing the media, Pandey emphasized, "We have always been PDA people - the ministers; they never fought for the poor. I have been fighting for the poor before they were even born, under the leadership of Dr. Lohia. I have been to jail in Delhi, Tihar, and Lucknow in the fight for the PDA."

The comments follow accusations made by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who criticized Akhilesh Yadav for supposedly betraying the backward and Dalits. Maurya expressed doubts over SP's PDA agenda, describing it as a facade for betrayal. He vowed that the BJP would replicate its 2017 electoral success in the 2027 elections.

On his first day as the Leader of Opposition, Prasad highlighted another pressing issue by questioning the ruling BJP on frequent power cuts across Uttar Pradesh. He posed a direct query about whether the state's power production had decreased or whether there were issues with the central power pool, noting the ruling party's lack of response.

Meanwhile, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav appointed Mata Prasad Pandey as the new LoP in the UP Assembly following a Sunday meeting with party MLAs. This decision aligns with SP's recent electoral success, where the party secured 37 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha polls, outperforming the BJP, which won 33 seats.