Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's performance in Gorakhpur, calling it 'abysmal' on development parameters. He alleged that maximum irregularities, or 'gorakh dhanda', had taken place in Gorakhpur, which is the home district of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and a BJP stronghold.
SP's ambitious 2027 goal
Akhilesh claimed that the SP is poised to change the political landscape of the district in the 2027 assembly elections by winning all seats currently held by the BJP. 'This time, we will work to reduce the BJP to zero in Gorakhpur,' he asserted.
Education sector under fire
Targeting the BJP government on education, Akhilesh said that 487 primary schools had been closed in Gorakhpur over the past decade, resulting in 1,500 job losses. 'Children from the PDA community—comprising Pichhade (backward classes), Dalits, and Alpsankhyaks (minorities)—have been worst hit. The BJP's agenda is to keep these children illiterate,' he told reporters at the party office.
Crime and health concerns
Akhilesh highlighted that despite the chief minister's frequent visits to Gorakhpur, the district now tops the list in crimes against Dalits. 'Gorakhpur is witnessing a rise in crime, and the PDA community is at the receiving end,' he said. He added that the closure of government primary schools and primary health centres (PHCs) has forced people to rely on private institutions.
'Already burdened by unemployment and rising prices, people now have to spend huge sums on private schools and nursing homes. Government PHCs exist only on paper,' Akhilesh remarked. He concluded that if this is the condition in the chief minister's home district, the situation in the rest of Uttar Pradesh is even worse.
