India News | 'We Have Always Been PDA People': LoP of UP Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey

Luckow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 29 (ANI): Leader of Opposition of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, said on Monday that they always had been PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) people, countering the opposition alleging Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav betraying the backward and Dalits.

Speaking to ANI, Pandey said, "We have always been PDA people--the ministers; they never fought for the poor. I have been fighting for the poor before they were even born, under the leadership of Dr Lohia. I have been to jail in Delhi, Tihar and Lucknow in the fight for the PDA."

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This came after UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, on Sunday, July 28, accused Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav of betraying the backward Dalits and said that SP's PDA was also meant for betrayal.

"Congratulations to Shri Mata Prasad Pandey ji on becoming the Leader of Opposition in the UP Assembly. It is hoped that he will play the role of a constructive opposition. But SP chief Mr Akhilesh Yadav has betrayed the backward and Dalits. SP's PDA means a big betrayal. BJP will repeat the victory of 2017 in 2027," KP Maurya wrote in X.

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On his first day as the LoP today, Prasad also questioned the ruling party about the frequent power cuts happening all over the state.

"The question was asked, What was the need for power cuts? Either your production has reduced or you are not getting from the central pool, so you tell us what the reason for this cut is. They (the state government) were not answering," he said.

SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday, appointed party leader Mata Prasad Pandey as the LoP in the UP Assembly. This decision was taken following a meeting with party MLAs on Sunday.

Notably, SP bagged 37 seats alone, emerging as the single largest party in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha polls. SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav and leader Dimple Yadav won from Kannauj and Mainpuri, respectively, with huge margins. The BJP, on the other hand, managed to secure 33 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)