Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav.
| Photo Credit: PTI
As the campaign for the Milkipur byelection under the Ayodhya district gains momentum, caste and community-centric narratives take centre stage. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav who is pushing the PDA (pichada, Dalit, and alpasankhyak), acronym for backwards, Dalits, and minorities come out with data and figures claiming that these social groups has only 20% share in administrative appointments in Ayodhya district, calling upon these communities to vote unitedly for the SP.
“The reverse math of favouritism in BJP rule, the PDA community, which is 90% in number, has only about 20% share in administrative appointments in Ayodhya and the dominant people, who are 10% in number, have got 80% appointments to administrative posts. There’s nothing more to say,” Mr. Yadav said on social media platform X. He also added a chart showing only three out of 13 administrative officials in Ayodhya are from these communities.

Milkipur Vidhan Sabha seat is going for byelection on February 5 and the result will be declared on February 8. The high stakes byelection was necessitated after sitting SP MLA Awdhesh Prasad won from the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in 2024 Lok Sabha elections by defeating two-term BJP MP Lallu Singh. In the present contest, BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan is pitted against SP’s Ajeet Prasad, who is also the son of Mr. Awdhesh Prasad.
Milkipur, a reserved Scheduled Caste (SC) seat, remained a tough electoral landscape for the BJP, which has won the seat only once in the past 33 years. The Faizabad Lok Sabha seat consists mainly of Ayodhya district.
Earlier, the SP president shared a chart showing Station House Officer/Station Officer in Ayodhya and their social/caste identity, claiming that out of 26 SHO/SOs in Ayodhya, only six (23%) hails from social groups which the SP described as PDA.
“Ayodhya is witnessing byelection in Milkipur, hence we are coming with figures of Backwards, Dalit and Muslim representation in administrative system of Ayodhya, our leader is bringing the real face of the BJP, the party which calls for Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, but have neglected these communities, PDA is our slogan and we have continuously fought for rights of these groups,” senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’ said. He expressed confidence that the SP will emerge victorious in Milkipur with voters from Backward, Dalit and Muslim community supporting the party.
“In 2024 Lok Sabha, a candidate from Pasi (SC) community emerged victorious as PDA fully stood behind him, it will get repeated again in Milkipur,” he added.
U.P. CM Yogi Adityanath who is leading the ruling BJP campaign in Milkipur is reaching out to numerically significant Dalit community by alleging the SP as ‘Anti-Dalit’ party for reportedly opposing development initiatives taken by the BJP government for Dalit icons and highlighting the saffron party’s pro-Dalit approach. “The SP has always insulted Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar and given patronage to mafias. In the SP rule goons used to grab their land by just placing a flag,” he said, addressing an election rally. Making a reference Moeed Khan, a SP worker who is jail on charges of raping a Dalit girl, Mr. Adityanath accused the SP of treating the accused as a hero. “Moeed Khan, who played with the honour of a Dalit daughter, is the hero of Samajwadi Party. Unfortunately, the SP MP from Ayodhya carries Moeed Khan on his head,” the U.P. CM claimed.

The BJP which is focusing on robust booth management with marking of influential people, hopes of a sizeable support of SCs (Dalits), sections of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and full support of Brahmins and Rajputs. “We are getting support all sections, people in Milkipur are dissatisfied with the performance of Awadhesh Prasad, they are waiting to correct the mistake of Lok Sabha election, we will get a sizeable support of SC voters,” said Dubey, a senior state BJP leader, who visited Milkipur thrice in the last 10-days, said.
Mr. Dubey pointed out the facts like previous SP changing the name of the medical college in Kannauj, which had been named after B.R. Ambedkar, is echoing with the community. “It is the BJP government, which restored the name to honour Dr. Ambedkar, such misdeed by the SP is getting highlighted reaching masses giving the BJP massive advantage,” Mr. Dubey said.
Published – January 26, 2025 02:39 am IST