Akhilesh Yadav Says There Will Be "Big Change" In Country After 2024 Polls

Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls there will be a "big change" in the country and 'samajwadis' will play an important role in it.

"After 2024, there will be a different kind of change in the country and samajwadis will play an important role in it. The Samajwadi PDA Yatra has sent a strong message. The PDA (Backward, Dalit and Minority) will compete with the BJP and the NDA (BJP-led National Democratic Alliance)," Mr Yadav said, according to a statement issued in Lucknow, said during his 'Picchde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak' rally.

"Seeing the strength of PDA, many parties are now supporting caste census. Even parties which had earlier stopped this, have now come in favour of caste census," he said.

The SP President said the caste census has been a longstanding demand for his party because it is crucial for social justice. 

"The first thing Samajwadi Party will do after coming into power is to conduct a caste census." He also announced a party programme on Wednesday to pay tributes to the SP patriarch, late Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was born on November 22.

"Netaji struggled his entire life and gave a new identity to samajwadis," Mr Yadav, Mulayam's son, said.

SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav also attacked the BJP and called for its ejection from the seat of power.

"SP's fight is against the liar, the dishonest, and the corrupt. There is no respect for people's representatives in this (BJP) government and it is run by officers only," he said.

The PDA yatra of SP covered 202 assembly constituencies spread in 42 Lok Sabha constituencies and covered 8,500 kms in 208 days.

SP MP Dimple Yadav, former MP Dharmendra Yadav, and a number of senior leaders were part of the rally.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)