Uttar Pradesh bypolls: ‘PDA will neither get divided, nor fall,’ says Samajwadi Party’s Shivpal Yadav

Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav expresses confidence in PDA unity and victory in Uttar Pradesh bypolls.

As the campaigning for the byelections in Uttar Pradesh gathered momentum in Mainpuri district on Sunday (October 27, 2024), senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Shivpal Yadav said the PDA will "neither get divided, nor fall." He added that one who makes such a remark will have to pay the price later, apparently attacking the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP.)

Speaking to reporters in Ghiror area of the district while campaigning for party candidate from Karhal seat Tej Pratap Yadav, Shivpal Yadav said the BJP will be defeated on all the nine bypoll-bound seats.

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He also exuded confidence in Tej Pratap Yadav's victory with a large margin and hoped that the administration ensured a transparent election.

Responding to a question on the "batenge toh katenge (divided we fall)" remark of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the senior SP leader said,"PDA na toh batega, na hi katega (The PDA will neither get divided, nor fall)." The term PDA, which stands for 'Pichhade' (backward classes), 'Dalit' and 'Alpasankhyak' (minorities), was coined by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav's statement on Sunday (October 27, 2024) comes close on the heels of a comment by Lok Sabha MP from Mainpuri Dimple Yadav, who last week said Yogi Adityanath's call to Hindus to stay "united" was an attempt to distract the people from their real concerns.

Speaking to reporters in Mainpuri, Dimple Yadav had said, "People of Uttar Pradesh know it well that such statements are meant to divert their minds and such statements will be aired in future."