LUCKNOW, May 21 -- Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday alleged large-scale misappropriation of reservation quotas in recruitments conducted under the BJP government. Addressing a press conference at the party's state headquarters during the release of a "PDA Audit" report, Yadav claimed that reserved categories, particularly Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), had been systematically short-changed across at least 22 major recruitment drives. Focusing particularly on the high-profile recruitment of 69,000 assistant teachers, the SP chief alleged that candidates from reserved categories were denied their due share. Referring to the audit report, Yadav alleged that OBCs, entitled to 27% reservation, received only 3.86%, resulting in a shortfall of 23.14%, while SCs, entitled to 21%, received only 16.21%, leaving a gap of 4.8%. He further alleged that 1,133 posts reserved for ST candidates remained vacant. Yadav said the National Commission for Backward Classes had flagged irregularities involving around 20,000 seats in the recruitment process. He added that the Yogi Adityanath government had admitted to anomalies before the 2022 assembly elections and released a supplementary list of 6,800 candidates. The Kannauj MP alleged that more than 7,933 reserved posts were effectively misappropriated when the supplementary list and unfilled ST vacancies were taken together. Meanwhile, UP BJP chief and Union minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary questioned Akhilesh Yadav over the party's "PDA Audit" and promise of a caste census within 90 days if voted to power in 2027. In a post on X, Chaudhary challenged Akhilesh to release a "Recruitment and Nepotism Audit" of the 2012-17 SP government, alleging jobs were distributed through "parchi and kharchi" (recommendation and bribe) instead of merit....