Addressing election meetings at pocket burroughs of Etah and Kasganj districts on Monday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav claimed that a wave was blowing in support of the SP-Congress alliance and the BSP and BJP were nowhere in the contest.
Yadav stressed that the Samajwadi Party will form the next government in the state and it will be a great honour for Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is the philosopher and guide of the SP.
The dais in all these meetings had posters carrying photographs of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, CM Akhilesh Yadav and his wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav. In both districts, Congress leaders attended the meeting.
“There is no challenge before the Samajwadi Party. The `elephant’ (BSP’s election symbol) is no position to challenge the `cycle’ (SP’s election symbol) and similar is the position of `lotus’ (BJP’s election symbol),’’said Yadav.
Referring to recent intra-party upheavalsthe CM said, “We saved the party and also the election symbol. Now with your support, we wish to carry forward the Socialist movement in UP. Vote for the SP for all round development of the state.’’
In his meeting at a college ground at Etah, Yadav said,``Polling in the first phase on February 11, would indicate which party would form the next government in the state.’’
“The BSP did nothing for the state except installing stone statues of elephants. Despite being power at the Centre for the last three years, the BJP has nothing to show to the people abou their claim to development of the state,” sxaid he.
However, Samajwadi Party has been grappling with rebellion from party leaders in Etah. Benied denied ticket by the SP, sitting MlA from Etah City seat Ashish Yadav is in the fray as a lok Dal candidate. His father Ramesh Yadav is the Chairman of legislative Council
Exhorting support for SP candidate Jogendra Singh Yadav, Akhilesh said, “We honored them by giving them the office of Chairman of legislative Council but now they are not with the party. Its for you to assess who is your well wisher.’’
Accusing the BJP of copying the SP manifesto, the CM said, “It’s good to see that they are following the path of Socialism. The BJP has been in power at the Centre for the last three years. We hoped that they would come out with some new idea in their manifesto but they preferred to cut and paste our manifesto.’’
