The Samajwadi Party national executive on Sunday authorised party president Akhilesh Yadav to take a decision on alliances and seat sharing with other likeminded parties for the 2019 lok Sabha election. The national executive of the party also voiced its opposition to the use of the Electronic voting machines in the election and demanded the use of ballot paper instead. The Party’s patriarch and founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother MlA Shivpal Singh Yadav were not invited in the meeting as they are not the members of the national executive.
“The main decision taken in the national executive is that party president Akhilesh Yadav has been authorised to take a decision on alliance and seat sharing for the 2019 lok Sabha polls. The executive is of the view that elections should be held through ballot papers and not through EVMs,” said the party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav briefing reporters about the executive meeting here on Saturday. Asked to elaborate on the discussions at the meeting about the political scenario, Yadav parried a direct reply, saying, “I am telling you about the decisions not the discussions.”
“The members said that they will accept whatever the decision is taken by the party president over the alliance,” he said while refusing to say anything on whether there would be an alliance with the BSP or Congress. When asked who will be the leader of the joint opposition against the BJP, the SP leader said that there is no fight for the leader post and every party will have its own leader.
“In NDA there are 17 parties but every party has its own leader. Narendra Modi is not the leader of each of the 17 parties” he commented. Replying to a question Ram Gopal Yadav said that he will contest the lok Sabha polls if the party so desired. “My decision to contest lS polls will depend on the party’s direction,” he said. Ram Gopal Yadav is reported to have shown his interest in contesting from Sambhal lS seat and the party has approved his candidature.
Talking about the party’s opposition to the elections through EVMs, he said that the party will first appeal to the Election Commission to re-introduce ballot papers during the elections and if they reject it then SP will try to pressure them through a joint opposition demand.” Even if then EC refuses then we have no other option but to launch an agitation against them and hold dharna at their office,” he announced.
About absence of some party leaders, including Azam Khan from the meeting, he said, “Is it necessary that all should remain presentIJ Ninety per cent of the members were present. Party president Akhilesh Yadav was also there.” To another query as to whether there was any discussion about Akhilesh Yadav’s warring uncle Shivpal Yadav, he replied in the negative. When his attention was drawn towards the frequent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Uttar Pradesh, Ram Gopal Yadav said, “Keep watching, this is just the beginning. As elections approach, he will have to come here on a daily basis.”
During the 2 hour long meeting at the state party headquarters, almost all the executive members express support for alliance while the leadership sought direct feedback from the members about their views on the alliance and how.
Though the meeting did not say anything on the alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress but the executive members said that they will support any decision taken by Party president Akhilesh Yadav in the interest of the party.
The meeting adopted a resolution to thank the people of Gorakhpur, Phulpur, Kairana and Noorpur, where the party won in the by polls. The national executive also condoled the death of Hindi poet Gopal Das Neeraj, wife of senior party leader Ramji lal Suman and father of Rajiv Rai, who died recently. The members also stood up for two minutes to pay their condolence.
