A day after Samajwadi Party suffered a setback in the Rajya Sabha elections when their party candidate lost due to cross-voting, Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that strict action would be taken against the rebel legislators and pointed out that the BJP thus acted because they fear the expanding PDA (Backward, Dalit and Minority) in SP.

Yadav has floated the acronym PDA — ‘Picchde’ (backward classes or OBCs), Dalits and ‘Alpsankhyak’ (minorities).

The SP President said on Wednesday the rebel MLAs were those whose conscience was dead and
action will be taken as per rules against those who voted for the BJP candidate.

“Action will be taken against them as per the rules. They won by defeating BJP and now what answer will they give to those voters?” he said.

Regarding SP MLA Manoj Pandey, who resigned as chief whip of the party, he said that Pandey used to give him information about BJP-RSS. ” I am sad that now who will give me that information,” he said.

The SP President asked what package they (rebel SP MLAs) would get, adding ” I am waiting for that information”.

He said the BJP should form a group of ‘BJP Sidhantheen’ (unprincipled BJP) in which people brought in after breaking away from other parties should be kept. He alleged that as the family of PDA was expanding, the fear of BJP was also increasing.

Yadav said that the PDA family is increasing and people are joining the SP.

“In the 2024 elections, on one side there are those who are destroying the Constitution and on the other side, the ones who are coming forward to save the Constitution” he said.
He said that earlier there had been churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan, major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in Vishnu Purana), now there will be churning of the Constitution.

Today, BSP leader Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali from Azamgarh joined the SP.

On the occasion, Jamali said, ” I have not taken this decision due to any greed. I have taken this decision after careful consideration. This is an important decision given the current situation in the country”.
He said , “I owe a debt to the people of Hindu community as 90 per cent of my friends are Hindus. I cannot even imagine that Hindu-Muslim can fight against each other.”

He assured the SP President that he will remain in the SP for the rest of his life and will work to strengthen the PDA.

SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav alleged that farmers, youth and Muslims were all troubled under the BJP rule. ”These people commit dishonesty in the name of Lord Ram…. I have seen so many governments but none is more dishonest than the BJP,” he further alleged.