Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national coordinator Akash Anand on Monday claimed the Samajwadi Party (SP) fears his party the most. “Samajwadi Party fears BSP the most. It was [party chief] Mayawatiji who worked the most for the uplift of Dalits. That’s why SP members keep shouting ‘PDA, PDA’,” he said at a party workers’ conference in Hathras, referring to the SP’s Pichchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyank or Backwards, Dalits and minorities plank. “Mayawatiji always cautions people from all walks of life to be wary of the deceptive SP and its narrow casteist politics,” added Mr. Anand.

Targeting BJP

The BSP leader also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Uttar Pradesh government of failing on employment, education and law and order, and alleged that more than ₹7,000 crore had been spent on advertisements over the past decade to “hide its shortcomings”. “More than four lakh government posts are lying vacant in the State while several competitive examinations witnessed paper leaks,” he said.