Politics · India
SP fields Brahmin candidate from Ayodhya, sparking political debate
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has fielded Pawan Pandey, a Brahmin, as his party's candidate from the Ayodhya seat for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. This move has drawn criticism from Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak, who accused the SP of engaging in appeasement politics and constantly changing its strategy. Other reports suggest this is part of Yadav's strategy to counter the BJP and appeal to the Brahmin voter base, with some outlets questioning the redefinition of his 'PDA' (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) slogan to include 'Pandit'. Discussions are also ongoing regarding potential alliances for the 2027 elections.
How outlets across the spectrum covered it
Left 0 · Centre 6 · Right 3 n = 9
- Centre (6 votes, 7 outlets): Amar Ujala, Deccan Herald, Nai Dunia, Navbharat Times · The Times of India (Times Group — 1 vote), Patrika, The Lallantop
- Right (3): Aaj Tak, Dainik Jagran, Punjab Kesari