SP will reduce BJP to zero in Gorakhpur in 2027 polls: Akhilesh

Lucknow: Underscoring the ‘abysmal’ performance of the BJP government on development parameters of Gorakhpur, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief

Akhilesh Yadav

on Wednesday said maximum ‘gorakh dhanda’ (irregularities) had taken place in Gorakhpur – the home district of chief minister

Yogi Adityanath

and a BJP stronghold.Akhilesh claimed that SP was all set to change the political landscape of the district in the 2027 assembly polls by replacing the BJP on all assembly seats in the district. “This time, we will work to reduce the BJP to zero in Gorakhpur,” he said.Targeting the BJP government at the education front he said as many as 487 primary schools were closed in Gorakhpur in the past ten years as a result of which 1500 people lost their jobs.“It is the children from the PDA community - comprising Pichhade (backward classes), Dalits, and Alpsankhyaks (minorities) - who have been worst hit by this. The very agenda of the BJP government is to create a scenario where the children from the PDA community remain illiterate,” Akhilesh said while addressing reporters at the party office.“The chief minister had paid maximum visits to Gorakhpur since assuming office and the district was now on top in terms of crime against Dalits,” Akhilesh said highlighting how the PDA was at the receiving end in the region.

“Gorakhpur is also witnessing a rise in crime, he said.The SP chief said if this was the condition of the chief minister’s home district, one can imagine the situation in the rest of the state.He said by shutting down govt primary schools and primary health centres (PHCs) the BJP govt has left the people with no choice but private schools and nursing homes.“Already reeling under increasing unemployment and rising prices, people now will have to spend huge sums if they chose to send their children to private schools. If someone takes ill, people will have to spend money to in private nursing home because govt PHCs now exist only on paper,” he said.