Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed journalists at the party's Lucknow office, emphasising the organisation's commitment to maintaining coalition ties. Yadav asserted that the Samajwadi Party does not dissolve its political partnerships, stating that the party honours its alliances when it chooses to move ahead alongside other parties.
Yadav said the party's aim is to establish a government rooted in socialist principles and social justice, with a focus on backward classes, Dalits, and minorities — collectively referred to as the PDA. He also alleged that opposing forces are attempting to distort the PDA's meaning out of apprehension about its influence, and stated that the organisation would grow in proportion to the hardships it encountered.
Addressing inflation concerns, Yadav noted that the prices of everyday goods had risen, with the timing of upcoming festivals adding to the strain on household budgets, and stated that the cost of living had been climbing across the board. He cited diesel and petrol among the commodities affected, while also calling on the government to provide an explanation for the rise in sugar prices.
Yadav raised concerns about the use of sugarcane in ethanol production, alleging that producers were blending ethanol with petrol for financial benefit while also raising sugar prices to increase their returns.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also challenged the government's per capita income figures, pointing out that approximately 150 million people continued to receive subsidised food, and questioned what the actual income levels of those recipients were. He also asserted that primary education in the state was deteriorating, citing steps taken during his tenure to strengthen school infrastructure and teaching quality.
Yadav noted that pupils from economically marginalised backgrounds account for a substantial share of enrolment in state-run primary schools, adding that the Samajwadi Party, if it comes to power, would work to upgrade those institutions and arrange access to nutritious meals for young students.
Regarding financial aid programmes targeting women, Yadav noted that the Samajwadi Party had previously pledged an annual disbursement of Rs 40,000, and contended that the BJP was now putting forward comparable commitments.
Yadav noted that conveying accurate information had become increasingly constrained, adding that members of the press face mounting professional pressures and that truthful reporting is now viewed unfavourably in the current environment. He noted that expressing the truth openly had grown increasingly challenging, and that candid voices may encounter resistance or disagreement in response.
When questioned about legislators switching party allegiances, Yadav noted that family-based political networks could at times benefit a party, pointing to the number of relatives serving as Samajwadi Party parliamentarians, and posed the question of why the party had remained intact rather than fracturing. He noted that five legislators from the same family hold seats in parliament. Yadav stated that the party's membership, which spans Muslim legislators and socialist representatives, would keep their numbers stable, while also observing that hereditary political networks can offer certain benefits.
