Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Tuesday, 1 September launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, accusing the former Chief Minister of making politically desperate statements over PDA politics and alleged caste-based encounters — and claiming that Yadav's own strategy ultimately benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

What Is PDA and Why It Is Under Fire

PDA — an acronym standing for Pichre (backward classes), Dalits, and Alpasankhyak (minority communities) — has been the cornerstone of Akhilesh Yadav's political outreach strategy ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Rajbhar, however, argued that the coalition in practice narrows down to Yadavs and Muslims, making it an M-Y bloc in a different guise.

'The PDA consists of Yadavs and Muslims. Akhilesh Yadav was in power for five years; he should introspect. During his government, a Yadav Commission had been formed. The High Court strongly reprimanded the government, after which the Yadav Commission had to be removed,' Rajbhar said.

Rajbhar's Central Charge: SP Helps Its Rivals

In a pointed dig, Rajbhar claimed that Yadav's political positioning paradoxically consolidates the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) support base rather than eroding it. 'Akhilesh Yadav works to give power to Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi. He unites Yadavs and Muslims. His M-Y stands for Modi and Yogi. He speaks to give power to Yogi and Modi,' the minister said.

Rajbhar further characterised the SP chief's statements as driven by desperation rather than governance critique. 'These people are desperate for power. They don't even know what they're saying,' he said.

The AI Video Trigger and Saifai Jibe

Rajbhar's remarks came after Akhilesh Yadav played an AI-generated video targeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the SP party headquarters in Lucknow, marking an escalation in the party's digital campaigning ahead of the 2027 polls. Responding to the move, Rajbhar attacked the SP's political culture with a reference to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

'Everyone knows their culture. As Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav watched dances in Saifai, while Muzaffarnagar was burning in riots, killing each other, but he could only see dances. He couldn't see anything else. There has been no dancing in Saifai for nine years since his government fell,' Rajbhar alleged.

Rajbhar on Rahul Gandhi FIR and SP's Support

The minister also addressed questions about the FIR registered against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who had sought legal action against individuals who allegedly performed purification rituals at the venue following Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's rally in Uttarakhand, and the support extended to Gandhi by Akhilesh Yadav.

Rajbhar said the country functions according to the law and that legal proceedings should be viewed in that context. On Yadav's backing of Gandhi, he alleged the SP chief's approach was driven purely by anti-government sentiment. 'Akhilesh Yadav's mind is only filled with opposition... The government is doing its job. Their useless statements have no bearing on the government,' Rajbhar said.

Political Context Ahead of 2027

The exchange underscores the intensifying political temperature in Uttar Pradesh as parties position themselves nearly two years before the 2027 Assembly elections. Notably, Rajbhar himself was once an ally of Akhilesh Yadav before aligning with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). His critique carries the added weight of an insider's perspective on SP's coalition arithmetic — and its limits. How the PDA narrative holds up against such attacks will be a key test for the SP's pre-poll strategy.