Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday, 30 August claimed that more than 26,000 government schools have been shut down by the ruling dispensation in Uttar Pradesh, with the children most affected belonging to the PDA — Pichhda (Other Backward Classes), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (minority) — communities. Addressing the media at the SP headquarters in Lucknow, Yadav pledged to reopen all 26,000 schools if his party is voted to power in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The Education Promise

Yadav asserted that strengthening the government school system and protecting public education infrastructure would be a top priority of an SP government. The pledge to reopen schools follows his earlier promise, made just days prior, to provide women in Uttar Pradesh a direct annual financial assistance of ₹40,000 if SP returns to power — a commitment that has sharpened the party's pre-election outreach to women and marginalised communities.

'If the SP comes to power, these communities — Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak — will be granted rights and a share of power proportionate to their population,' Yadav said.

Targeting the Yogi Government

The SP chief took direct aim at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, questioning the BJP government's claim of generating 1 lakh jobs in the state. He alleged that roads across Uttar Pradesh have deteriorated into stretches of potholes and accused the state's Irrigation department of widespread irregularities and scams, demanding a formal investigation.

On law and order, Yadav argued that despite the Chief Minister's repeated assertions that criminals and mafia elements have fled the state, gangs from other states are reportedly now entering Uttar Pradesh to commit crimes — a claim he presented as evidence of a deteriorating security situation.

PDA Consolidation Strategy

The SP's focus on the PDA bloc is a deliberate electoral strategy ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. The PDA grouping — comprising backward classes, Dalits, and minorities — constitutes a substantial share of Uttar Pradesh's electorate, and the SP has been systematically pitching welfare guarantees and representation pledges to consolidate this vote bank against the BJP.

Notably, Yadav also took a swipe at Om Prakash Rajbhar, president of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and referenced the SP's outreach to the Arkvanshi community in Hardoi, acknowledging that some former political associates are no longer aligned with him.

Corruption Allegations and Broader Attacks

Yadav further alleged corruption in the installation of large statues of BJP icons and the party's first president, calling for accountability. He claimed that once an SP government is formed in 2027, 'corruption and the politics of coercion will be crushed' and all sections of society will receive rights and representation commensurate with their population.

With assembly elections roughly 18 months away, the SP's back-to-back welfare announcements signal an intensifying pre-poll campaign aimed at drawing a sharp contrast with the incumbent BJP government on education, employment, and social equity.