Samajwadi Party Kicks Off Poll Campaign With Dadri Rally, Akhilesh Hits Back At BJP After PM’s Noida Show

Dadri: The Samajwadi Party on Sunday launched its assembly election campaign with a show of strength in western Uttar Pradesh, as party chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed the ‘Samajwadi Samanata Bhaichara’ rally in Dadri, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the party at an event linked to the Noida International Airport.

Addressing a packed gathering, Akhilesh Yadav said the turnout reflected public enthusiasm and signalled momentum for the party. He praised local leader Rajkumar Bhati for organising the event, noting that the venue was filled to capacity and awash in red, the party’s signature colour.

In a direct political counter to Saturday’s BJP rally, Akhilesh alleged that the ruling party had to mobilise crowds through official machinery. Without naming the BJP, he claimed that the buzz around the Samajwadi Party’s event had unsettled its rivals and forced them to hold a rally a day earlier. He also alleged that people were brought in for that event rather than attending voluntarily, adding that in the current digital age such claims could be easily verified.

The former chief minister further alleged that government employees and even students were used to bolster attendance at the rival rally, claiming that some students were offered leave after participating. These claims could not be independently verified.

Sharpening his attack, Akhilesh Yadav questioned the intent behind recent infrastructure inaugurations, referring to the Noida International Airport project. He claimed that several airports inaugurated earlier had failed to sustain operations and suggested that the new airport could eventually face privatisation. He said such projects should come with clear assurances that public assets would not be sold.

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The rally came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in Noida after inaugurating the airport, accused the Samajwadi Party of treating the region as a source of patronage and corruption in the past. He said the BJP government had curbed such practices and prioritised development. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also criticised previous governments, alleging that development had stalled between 2002 and 2017 under Samajwadi Party and Congress rule.

Sunday’s rally in Dadri signals the start of an aggressive campaign by the Samajwadi Party in western Uttar Pradesh, a politically crucial region with a complex caste and community matrix. With both sides trading sharp attacks within 24 hours, the contest appears to be intensifying early, setting the tone for a high-voltage electoral battle in the state.