Claiming Samajwadi Party as the true secular outfit Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that his party will contest from Varanasi and if other parties want they can support SP candidate so as to present a united fight against BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
"I am not going to issue an appeal. And why should I. The Samajwadi Party is the strongest party in Varanasi. It has the might and the power to defeat Modi in Varanasi. If other parties want they should support Samajwadi Party candidate," Yadav told reporters here on Tuesday. A political thought was in the air for the last many days that all so-called secular parties should unitedly challenge Narendra Modi. A few suggestions came and the parties felt that Samajwadi Party being in power should take the lead.
"Why should SP take leadIJ There is no doubt about the secular credential of SP. Our work will speak in this election. Amount of development work being carried out in the state in last two years are enough testimony of our resolve to carry forward development schemes. Our candidate is the strongest in Varanasi and will defeat Modi," Yadav said.Hitting out at BJP he said that when Modi started his campaign he talked about replicating Gujarat model of development in the country. "Where that model has gone nowIJ The BJP leaders have now started talking about religion and spreading communal hatred," he said and added: "On the other hand we have a party like BSP which does not have election manifesto. How can a party go to elections without manifestoIJ During elections party promises people as what they will do if it comes to power. But BSP has no promise to make."
As if giving an answer himself Yadav said: "The BSP’s mission is to make money. They did it in Uttar Pradesh when public money was mis-used on the names of construction of parks and memorials while our government has spent every penny in the development of the state.When asked about Kejriwal he said: "The AAP has copied my cap. The only difference is our cap is of red colour. I won’t say more than that."
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party received a shot in its arm when a sitting BSP MP and several other former legislators joined the party. BSP lok Sabha member from Gautam Buddha Nagar seat Surendra Nagar, who was denied ticket, joined the SP along with his supporters. Similarly former legislators and ex- state minister Sriram Yadav of the BSP and Vinod Tiwari of the BJP in Pilibhit also joined the SP. Monu Sonkar and Ram Pratap,both ex-MlA also joined the party. Yadav, who is also president of the state unit of the party, welcomed the leaders and said that these leaders would strengthen the party base in their area.