SP to form 'PDA' cadre for backward caste workers ahead of LS polls

Reviving its presence at the grassroot level to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, the Samajwadi Party is preparing cadre comprising people from the backward, Dalit and minorities at the booth level in Uttar Pradesh.

The 'PDA cadre' will include 10 people from the backward castes. The PDA acronym given by party president Akhilesh Yadav means 'Picchde' (backwards), Dalits and 'Alpsankhyak' (minorities) and the party feels that following the PDA agenda will help it in countering the BJP.

"We are preparing a PDA cadre at all the booths in the state. The process for the same has started and frontal organisations of the party are working on it. The plan is to including ten influential people of PDA on each booths in the state," a senior party leader told PTI.

Once the cadre is ready, the party headquarters here will have all the details of the people in it and the can be utilised to spread the message of the party and also counter any propaganda against it, he said.

This PDA cadre will be working along with the existing party structure in the district and is aimed at reaching backwards, Dalits and minorities and influence them to support the party.

Dalits, backwards and minorities constitute around two-third of the Uttar Pradesh population.

State president of the SP backward cell, Rajpal Kashyap told PTI, "As state head of backward cell of the party I am organising training camps and holding meetings in different districts to strengthen the party reach among backwards till booth level."

"Names of the people (from backward community) are sought and we will strengthen organisation up to booth level," he said, adding the "PDA strategy" giving by the party president will be able to counter the BJP this year.

Yadav, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, has been repeatedly saying in his public speeches that the PDA will beat NDA in 2024.

Though Yadav has said that PDA also includes 'Agde' (upper caste), 'Adhi Abadi' (women) and 'Advasi' (tribals), the party's main focus is on backwards, Dalits and minorities.

Among backwards Yadav and Muslims are considered as the core vote bank of the party.

For the PDA cadre, the party has also prepared a software in which details of booth level workers will be fed.

This, the party feels will also help in gauging mood of the people at booth level by taking feedback from them at the grass root level and also about the winning prospects of prospective candidates.

To strengthen the party organisation, the party has also made zone in-charges above booth, block and sector heads to monitor and carry on the party activities.

In districts, the party has made a sector comprising 9-12 booths and a zone having seven-eight sectors.

Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats.In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Samajwadi Party contested in alliance with the BSP and could get only five seats while the later got 10 Lok Sabha seats.

The SP is part of opposition INDIA alliance that has been formed for the Lok Sabha polls.