Akhilesh Yadav's Rajya Sabha picks spark questions on SP's PDA strategy

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's Rajya Sabha nominations have drawn scrutiny over their alignment with the party's stated PDA (backwards castes-Dalit-Muslim) political strategy. His picks include uncle Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance executive Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani.

The nominations are being viewed as an early indicator of SP's positioning ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The moves have sparked debate about whether the selections reflect the party's broader political outreach efforts, even as the party's numerical strength falls short of the winning quota for these seats.