Lucknow : Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the state executive meeting, setting an ambitious target for the upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Yadav outlined his party's strategy, criticised the state's handling of law and order, and expressed gratitude to the Muslim community while taking political swipes at senior BJP and alliance leaders.
"Today was our state executive meeting. In this, we have decided that in the 2027 assembly elections, we will work to increase 27,000 votes in every assembly seat. That means we will reduce 27,000 votes of the BJP," Yadav declared, setting the electoral tone for his party's cadre.
Highlighting farmers' plight and alleged corruption in key regions, Yadav accused the state government of failing to support agriculture and flagged irregularities in land acquisition.
"Farmers are not getting the right price for their crops. The BJP has taken land from farmers but not given the correct circle rate. Major land scams have taken place in Ayodhya. Time and again, they have caused distress to everyone," he said.
He also acknowledged the patience demonstrated by the Muslim community amid ongoing political dynamics. "I want to tell all our Muslim brothers that we are grateful to them for the patience and the spirit of goodwill they have shown," he added.
Presenting detailed figures on the alleged desecration of Dr BR Ambedkar's statues across the state, Yadav accused the BJP of targeting symbols of the Constitution and social justice.
"The BJP has vandalised the most statues—more than 151 statues of Babasaheb have been broken by the BJP. They attack the book in Babasaheb's hand. In 71 districts, 15 statues are damaged every year, making it 151 statues destroyed," Yadav alleged.
Yadav flagged a sharp rise in statue vandalism cases under the current regime, citing official figures. According to the data he shared, 46 statues were reported vandalised during Yogi Government 1.0 between 2017 and 2022. The number more than doubled to 105 cases under Yogi Government 2.0, from 2022 till date. Despite 151 such instances reported over the last decade, Yadav said action in these cases remains sparse.
"FIRs have been registered in only 14 cases of statue vandalism, with cases filed against 45 unknown individuals. Named FIRs have been filed in only 8 cases. In 10 years, 151 statues of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Ji were damaged. Since 2022, there has been a 12-fold increase," he added.
Dismissing the BJP's criticism of his campaign chariots, Yadav defended his party's political tradition while attacking the ruling party's agenda. "They did not look at the Rath properly. Monocoloured people can only see one colour. When we climb onto the Rath, we do so after taking the blessings of Netaji [Mulayam Singh Yadav]. The BJP has only one goal: to change the Constitution. In 2027, the responsible people of SP are ready, and we will reduce 27,000 BJP votes from every assembly seat," he said.
He also took sharp digs at Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and ally Om Prakash Rajbhar over rumoured internal rifts. "Word has it that Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya was scolded. He was reprimanded in front of children for calling the CM 'obsessive' (sananki)," Yadav claimed."The question is why Rajbhar hasn't posted anything in a long time. His password must have been snatched away, which is why he hasn't been able to post," he added mockingly.
Outlining his governance vision if the Samajwadi Party returns to power, Yadav said emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Remote Sensing would be integrated into key sectors.
"Upon coming to power, our government will use remote sensing technology in the agriculture sector. We will also expand the use of AI and remote sensing in the medical field," he said. "We will also use technology to investigate incidents where vehicles flipped over and where RDX was recovered. Furthermore, we will increase the use of AI and remote sensing to control crime," he added.