How Akhilesh's 'PDA' plank turned the tide for Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh
Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, delivered a massive blow to the BJP in UP as it emerged as the single largest party and, together with Congress as part of the INDIA bloc, was able to halve the BJP’s tally in the state that had played a crucial role in propelling the ruling party to victory in the last two general elections. It was the SP’s best performance in a Lok Sabha election ever (it had won 35 seats in 2004), and with these results, a redefined SP under Akhilesh Yadav has become the third largest national party after BJP and Congress, in what considerably raises Yadav’s national stature and makes him a force to reckon with, especially in the 2027 state assembly elections.
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What also worked for the SP-Congress alliance this time, as against 2017, was the fact that this time, the spirit of alliance reached the cadres, and the SP enthusiastically campaigned for the Congress and vice versa. As a result, the grand old party was able to resurrect itself in the state, winning six seats, when it had been reduced to only one seat in 2019.
By 9 pm, the SP had won 27 seats and was leading in 10 out of a total of the 62 seats it contested, while the Congress had won six seats, giving the INDIA bloc a decisive edge in 43 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP had won in 28 seats and was leading in 5 others, and along with three seats of its allies –– RLD and Apna Dal (S), the NDA, which had won 64 seats in UP in 2019, was reduced to 36. “The aware citizens of UP have once again showed a new direction to the country, and birthed a new hope. This victory is to save the Constitution,
