At a press briefing held at the Samajwadi Party's Lucknow office, Akhilesh Yadav told reporters that the party would preserve its current coalition arrangements while directing its political focus toward opposing the BJP, which he described as governing in ways that benefit large business interests. Yadav stated that the Samajwadi Party does not dissolve its political partnerships.
He stated that the Samajwadi Party honours its commitments when it agrees to work alongside other parties, adding that the party's goal is to establish a government rooted in socialist principles and social justice, with solidarity extended to backward classes, Dalits, and minorities — collectively referred to as the PDA — and that opponents, he argued, distort the PDA concept out of fear of what it represents. Yadav stated that the organisation would grow in proportion to the hardships it encountered.
Addressing the issue of rising prices, Yadav noted that the cost of daily necessities had gone up, with the festive season drawing near, adding that consumer goods across the board were becoming increasingly unaffordable. He cited diesel and petrol among the commodities affected, while also calling on the government to account for the rise in sugar prices.
He raised concerns about the diversion of sugarcane to ethanol production, alleging that producers were blending ethanol with petrol for financial benefit while simultaneously raising sugar prices to increase their revenues.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister raised doubts about the government's per capita income figures, pointing to approximately 150 million people still receiving subsidised food, and contended that primary education in the state was being intentionally undermined, while citing steps taken during his own tenure to strengthen school infrastructure and teaching quality.
Yadav noted that pupils from economically marginalised backgrounds make up a substantial share of enrolments in state-run primary schools, pledging that an SP-led government would upgrade these institutions and guarantee access to nutritious food for all children.
Yadav raised concerns about what he described as pervasive unfairness under the BJP administration, including alleged bias targeting people from multiple communities. Regarding financial aid programmes targeting women, he pointed out that the SP had previously pledged an annual benefit of Rs 40,000, and observed that the BJP is now putting forward comparable commitments.
Yadav stated that voicing candid opinions had become harder over time, and that reporters operating under the BJP-led administration face growing constraints, with truthful coverage increasingly viewed as a violation. He noted that expressing the truth had grown increasingly challenging.
When questioned about legislators switching party affiliations, Yadav argued that having multiple relatives within a political organisation could at times strengthen its cohesion, pointing to the number of family members holding seats under the Samajwadi Party banner, and asked why the party had remained intact despite such pressures. Five legislators from the same family hold seats in the parliament.
"The party also counts Muslim legislators and committed socialist members among its ranks, meaning our totals would remain intact," he noted, adding with a laugh that dynastic politics occasionally carries its own advantages.
