Akhilesh Yadav's First Reaction After INDIA Bloc's Impressive UP Show

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hailed the triumph of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh as a landmark victory for the state's backward classes, Dalits, and minorities. This victory, he claimed, was a testament to the power of the PDA (Pichada, Dalit, and Alpasankhyak) strategy and the collaborative efforts of the Opposition alliance.

Mr Yadav, a former Chief Minister, said that the electorate's decision had demonstrated that no force or deceit could overpower the collective will of the people. "Dear intelligent voters of Uttar Pradesh, the victory of the INDIA bloc in the state is also the victory of the Dalit-Bahujan trust which, along with backward, minority, tribal, 'half population' (women) and all neglected, exploited, oppressed, backwards among the upper castes, has fought shoulder to shoulder to save the Constitution that gives the right to equality, respect, self-respect, dignified life, and reservation," he wrote on X.

The INDIA bloc's impressive performance saw it win 43 of UP's 80 Lok Sabha seats, with the SP alone securing 37 seats and the Congress taking 6. This outcome marks a significant blow to the ruling BJP-led NDA, which managed to win only 33 seats, supplemented by its allies with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) winning two seats and Apna Dal (Sonelal) securing one.

"This is the victory of that strong alliance of backwards-dalit-minority-tribal, 'half population' and backward among the upper castes in the form of PDA, which is made even stronger by the good people of every section and class with their cooperation and contribution," he noted.

Mr Yadav further attributed the victory to the tireless and fearless efforts of staunch defenders of the Constitution, and the proponents of positive, inclusive politics. 

The victory was not without its significant individual triumphs and upsets. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi successfully retained his Varanasi seat, other prominent figures faced defeat. BJP candidate Rajveer Singh, son of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, lost to SP's Devesh Shakya in Etah by a margin of 28,052 votes. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Anupriya Patel, and Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary secured their respective seats in Lucknow, Mirzapur, and Maharajganj. However, Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni and BJP stalwart Maneka Gandhi faced defeat in Lakhimpur Kheri and Sultanpur, respectively.

The Congress saw significant victories with Rahul Gandhi winning in Raebareli and Kishori Lal Sharma triumphing in Amethi, defeating BJP's Smriti Irani by a substantial margin. Akhilesh Yadav himself won from Kannauj, with his wife Dimple Yadav securing a victory in Mainpuri.