UP Politics: Awadhesh Prasad to Join Akhilesh Yadav's Dalit Conference in Agra Ahead of 2027 Polls

Political activity is intensifying in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the Samajwadi Party stepping up its efforts to strengthen its PDA strategy among Dalit voters. Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad has confirmed that he will also visit Agra to attend the party's Dalit Mahasammelan. The conference, which will be addressed by party chief Akhilesh Yadav, is being seen as an important political move to consolidate Dalit support in western Uttar Pradesh. During a discussion on the event, political observers highlighted that Dalit voters could play a decisive role in the upcoming Assembly elections. Akhilesh Yadav's decision to organise the conference in Agra is being viewed as an attempt to strengthen the party's PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) outreach. However, the Samajwadi Party faces competition from other political players seeking to attract Dalit voters, including Chandrashekhar Azad and the Bahujan Samaj Party, where Akash Anand has also been active in political outreach. Meanwhile, the BJP has intensified its criticism of the Samajwadi Party's PDA campaign. Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary recently targeted Akhilesh Yadav over alleged family dominance within the SP, while political posters criticising the party were also removed by angry SP workers in Agra ahead of the conference. With the BJP, SP and other political parties focusing on Dalit representation and voter support, the Agra conference has become a significant political event in the run-up to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections. Akhilesh Yadav's speech and the response from rival parties will be closely watched.