Lucknow, Oct 19 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh ministers on Monday launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav after he announced that his party would release its manifesto for the 2027 Assembly elections on Constitution Day, accusing the SP of failing to work for Dalit and backward communities during its tenure in power.

The SP will unveil its manifesto for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on November 26, which is observed as Constitution Day in India.

The announcement by Yadav, the Kannauj MP, triggered criticism from ministers in the BJP-led state government, who questioned the SP’s record on governance, social justice and the welfare of marginalised communities.

In a post on X, Yadav said, “The Resolve of ’27: The PDA’s Manifesto. On the sacred democratic occasion of ‘Constitution Day’ on November 26, 2026, we will release the ‘Jan-Man Manifesto’,” Yadav wrote.

Reacting to the announcement, Minister Danish Azad accused the SP of losing its political base in Uttar Pradesh and making statements without having a record of achievements to present before the public.

Speaking to IANS, Azad said, “The SP has lost its base in UP. It makes baseless statements as they have nothing to show. They should present a report card of the time when SP was in power in the state. They should reveal how crime was rampant during their time. The law and order situation, corruption, job scams and women’s safety were grave concerns during the SP’s tenure.”

Minister Daya Shankar Singh also criticised the SP’s decision to release its manifesto on Constitution Day, arguing that the party should first clarify its position on a possible alliance with the Congress.

Speaking to IANS, Singh alleged, “On Constitution Day, if they are going to release a manifesto, they should first announce that they will not form an alliance with the Congress, which has weakened the Constitution and democracy the most.”

“The Samajwadi Party was founded in support of democracy, while the Congress, by imposing the Emergency, had murdered democracy,” he added.

He also questioned the SP’s use of the PDA slogan, alleging that the party’s focus remained on the interests of its own family rather than the welfare of backward and marginalised communities.

“There is nothing called PDA. PDA only stands for ‘Parivar Development Authority’. It is all about the family and nothing beyond that. In the Samajwadi Party, no party worker can even dream of becoming Chief Minister. People from other castes are not even in question; people from their own community cannot become the Chief Minister. However, in the BJP the situation is different; every worker has a chance to reach the top post,” he added.

Social Welfare Minister, Asim Arun, who represents Kannauj in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, also questioned Yadav’s presence among the people of his constituency and criticised the SP’s record on law and order.

Speaking to IANS, Arun said, “I am the MLA from Kannauj and have seen closely how the people of this place are now regretting that they elected Akhilesh Yadav to the Parliament, as he is mostly absent from the ground… I would like to see what they present in their manifesto, especially about the law and order, which was in ruins when the SP was in power. In the SP’s tenure, there was lawlessness, corruption and crime everywhere.”

Minister of State for Sports and Youth Welfare, Girish Chandra Yadav, also dismissed the SP’s PDA campaign, alleging that the party was using the slogan for political purposes without genuinely addressing the concerns of backward and Dalit communities.

Speaking to IANS, he said, “PDA is just for show. They don’t really care about the backwards and Dalit communities. The people of the state have all faith in the leadership of PM Modi and CM Yogi. The BJP will form a government in the state for the third time.”

BJP MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar, meanwhile, launched a strong attack on Akhilesh Yadav over his reference to the Constitution, accusing the SP of disrespecting Dr B.R. Ambedkar in the past.

Speaking to IANS, Gurjar said, “Akhilesh is talking about the Constitution, which is a joke in itself. Those who called Babasaheb Ambedkar a land mafia would have killed Dalit leader and ‘messiah’ Behen Kumari Mayawati if we had not been BJP workers. Those who changed the name of Kannauj Medical College, which was named after Babasaheb Ambedkar, and who have always been against the architect of the Constitution, are now talking about Constitution Day. This is, in a way, both laughable and infuriating.”

–IANS

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