Dadri: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mounted a strong political offensive following the inauguration of the Noida International Airport, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday responded with an equally aggressive show of strength in Dadri, formally kicking off his party’s campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in the politically crucial western Uttar Pradesh belt.
The ‘Samajwadi Samanata Bhaichara’ rally marked the party’s first major mobilisation in the region, which holds significant electoral weight with dozens of districts and over a hundred Assembly constituencies shaping the outcome of state politics.
By choosing Dadri, located close to the newly inaugurated airport, the Samajwadi Party sought to directly counter the narrative set by the BJP leadership a day earlier.
Addressing a packed gathering, Akhilesh Yadav projected confidence about the party’s momentum, pointing to the large turnout as evidence of public support.
He said the enthusiasm visible at the rally reflected a growing mood for change and credited local party leader Rajkumar Bhati for the mobilisation. The venue, dominated by red hues of the party flag, symbolised what he described as a resurgence of the Samajwadi base in the region.
Launching a pointed attack on the BJP without naming it directly, Akhilesh alleged that the ruling party was rattled by the scale of the Samajwadi Party’s preparations.
He claimed that the publicity around Sunday’s rally had forced the BJP to organise its own event a day earlier. He further alleged that attendance at that rally was artificially managed, with people being brought in rather than participating voluntarily.