Lucknow, Nov 2026 : Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday launched a strong attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of creating divisions in society and alleging that its defeat in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections would pave the way for its loss in the Lok Sabha polls.
Describing the BJP as a “gang” rather than a political party, Yadav claimed that people across Uttar Pradesh had made up their minds to remove the ruling party from power.
He was speaking in Lucknow after paying floral tributes to socialist leader Acharya Narendra Dev at his memorial on the banks of the Gomti River on the occasion of his 137th birth anniversary.
Addressing party workers and supporters, the SP chief alleged that the BJP was driven by negative thinking and was attempting to divide society. He said people from different sections were prepared to unite against the ruling party.
“The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds to remove the BJP from power. If the BJP loses Uttar Pradesh, it will eventually lose power at the national level as well,” he said.
Remembering Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary, Yadav said the country's first Deputy Prime Minister had played a historic role in integrating the princely states after Independence through his vision and efforts. He also claimed that Patel had imposed a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Yadav said communal forces posed a major challenge to the country and argued that weakening them would strengthen democracy. He claimed that socialist organisations and workers were continuously resisting the BJP and what he described as its “underground tunnel operators”.
The SP president also accused the BJP government of making promises without delivering adequate results. Alleging that the ruling party had merely “sold dreams” to the public, he questioned its claims about India's economic growth.
“While the BJP talks about building a $1 trillion economy, it is involved in donation theft. Offerings and donations from the Ram Temple had been stolen,” he alleged.
He further accused the government of allowing adulteration by blending ethanol with petrol and claimed that inflation was being used to generate profits. Yadav also alleged that farmers were not receiving fair prices for their agricultural produce.
Taking aim at the state government's education policies, the SP chief claimed that around 26,000 primary schools in Uttar Pradesh had been shut down. He alleged that there were plans to open liquor shops in some of the buildings that previously housed schools.
Yadav accused the BJP government of weakening the public education system and said the closure of schools would adversely affect children, particularly those from economically weaker sections.
He also raised concerns over the condition of government hospitals, alleging that the state administration was promoting private healthcare at the expense of public medical facilities.
Referring to Gorakhpur and Agra, he claimed that around 500 private hospitals each had been registered in the two cities during the BJP's 10 years in power. He alleged that government hospitals were deteriorating even as private healthcare facilities continued to expand.
“Government hospitals are deteriorating while the number of private hospitals continues to rise. Public hospitals themselves are now in need of treatment,” he said.
Responding to a question concerning Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Yadav urged him to pay attention to Uttar Pradesh's law-and-order situation, police conduct and alleged deaths in police custody.
He questioned the state government's response to reports of custodial deaths, crimes against women, cyber fraud and murder cases.
The SP chief also alleged that people belonging to the PDA grouping — Pichhda (backward classes), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minorities) — were facing harassment and discrimination.
Questioning the treatment of these communities, he asked why a large number of their members were in jails and alleged that Muslims were facing injustice. He also criticised the use of bulldozers against the houses of people he described as innocent.
Yadav asserted that SP workers were united in their opposition to the BJP and claimed that people from different sections of society were ready to hold the ruling party accountable in the forthcoming elections.
His remarks come as political parties begin sharpening their campaigns and positioning themselves ahead of the next Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
