Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Thursday, 5 November launched a pointed attack on Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, advising the opposition leader to move beyond his own support base and genuinely engage with marginalised communities — the very groups his party's signature slogan 'PDA' claims to represent.

What Prompted the Jab

Rajbhar's remarks followed Akhilesh Yadav's recent visits to Rampur and Varanasi — the MLC constituencies where SP candidates decisively defeated two nominees of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The victories gave the SP a political boost, but Rajbhar, a BJP ally and minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, moved quickly to puncture the narrative.

Rajbhar's Social Media Broadside

Taking to social media, Rajbhar wrote: 'You went to Rampur to meet the 'A', visited the homes and shops of your own caste-fellows represented by 'P', and while you were at it, you even took a stroll through the mansion of an MP represented by 'D' — just to make a name for yourself.'

The minister was directly deconstructing Akhilesh's PDA formula — widely understood to stand for Pichhde (backward classes), Dalits, and Alpsankhyak (minorities) — arguing that the SP chief's actions reflected caste-and-community consolidation rather than genuine outreach to the most deprived.

Attack on Akhilesh's Chief Minister Record

Rajbhar sharpened his critique by invoking Akhilesh's earlier tenure as Chief Minister, alleging: 'During your rule, the condition of the real 'D' — the Dalits — remained in a pathetic state, even as you focused only on the 'P' and the 'A'.'

He contrasted that period with what he described as improvements under the current administration, claiming Dalit households in 'new' Uttar Pradesh now have permanent homes, toilets, women earning through self-help groups, and better educational and employment opportunities. These are, however, the government's own claims and have not been independently verified.

The Advice: Come Down to Ground Level

Rajbhar closed with direct advice to the SP president: 'Sir, come down to the ground level. Don't just visit your own inner circle; meet the common people. Only then will you realise how much has changed under the current administration compared to your era of misgovernance.'

Notably, Akhilesh Yadav has consistently asserted that the PDA framework is broader than a narrow electoral alliance. He has previously stated that the 'P' also covers Brahmins who are troubled or victimised, and that PDA aims to alleviate difficulties across every segment of society — not merely consolidate a vote bloc. The SP's back-to-back MLC wins in Rampur and Varanasi are being read by the party as early validation of that strategy ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The exchange underscores the intensifying political contestation over Dalit and OBC identity politics in India's most electorally significant state, with both sides seeking to frame the other as exploitative of these communities rather than their genuine champion.