Bhubaneswar: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav signalled at expanding the party’s presence in Odisha after arriving in the state capital on Friday afternoon to attend Vision India: Holistic Health Summit.
“After offering prayers at the Jagannath Temple, I came to Odisha during the by-election. This is my third visit to the state in a year. During the by-election earlier, I told the people that we had come to plant the tree of PDA. We hope the people of Odisha, which witnessed socialist revolution in the past with stalwarts like Biju Patnaik joining ranks, will support this idea. We will continue to strengthen PDA and keep visiting Odisha,” he told reporters.
Responding to queries on alleged mob lynching in Balasore, the Samajwadi Party chief said that the BJP resorts to communal tactics whenever it finds itself politically vulnerable. “BJP’s agenda is communal. It takes the communal route whenever it weakens or fails to deliver on its election manifesto commitments. The Samajwadi Party does not believe in divisive politics, which is why we are running a campaign about choosing politics of unity,” he further stated.
The SP leader also alluded to the allegations levelled by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi about BJP stealing and manipulating voter data. “There is a lot to learn from BJP because it professionally runs itself politically. Have you ever heard about a political party stealing data? Those aiming to defeat them must match that same level of preparation and discipline. Moreover, the BJP doesn’t lack resources thanks to Odisha, where it is in power and leverages it to further strengthen the party,” he added.
Traditionally, the Samajwadi Party has had limited influence in Odisha, but Akhilesh’s outreach reflects a broader strategy to extend the party’s footprint beyond Uttar Pradesh, particularly in eastern India. He had met senior Congress leader Srikant Jena during an earlier visit to the state, sparking speculation about possible political alignments. His emphasis on social justice and inclusive politics is seen as an attempt to resonate with Odisha’s socio-political landscape.
