Even after about six months of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party has not been able to get over its abysmal performance. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has blamed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its defeat in the assembly elections, saying that the electoral body is “dishonest”.
“The ECI was dishonest. It did not hear opposition voices. Names of a large number of voters were deleted from the electoral rolls. In Rampur, SP workers were not allowed to cast votes while in Azamgarh, red cards were issued to SP workers. Was the ECI sleeping? It did not pay heed to our complaints,” the SP chief said.
Yadav asked the poll body to improve its functioning.
In the assembly elections held between February 10 and March 7, the SP won 111 seats. Congress won two seats while the Bahujan Samaj Party was all but wiped out with just one seat as the Bharatiya Janata Party, won 255 seats and went on to form the government for a second time under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The SP’s plight was no different in the bypolls to Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha constituencies in June, after the seats fell vacant with Akhilesh Yadav and Mohammad Azam Khan resigning after being elected to the UP Assembly. The BJP wrested both the seats from the SP.
“The Election Commission of India did not hear opposition voices. Names of a large number of voters were deleted from the electoral rolls. In Rampur, SP workers were not allowed to cast votes while in Azamgarh, red cards were issued to SP workers. Was the EC sleeping? It did not pay heed to our complaints," Yadav said.
On the political developments in Bihar, Akhilesh Yadav said that the political shift in Bihar was a "positive sign" and hoped a strong alternative to the BJP would be formed in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
He also claimed that the BJP allies in Uttar Pradesh were not happy with it and would break free from the saffron party in the future. The BJP had tied up with the Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the NISHAD Party in the assembly polls.
Yadav said his party was focusing on strengthening and restructuring its organisation and would be holding a national convention this year.
"Our membership drive is going on and is getting a good response. This time the drive is through mobile app, online and QR code also besides traditional ways," he added.
About the 2024 parliamentary polls, Yadav said, "I hope a strong alternative will be formed against the BJP and people will support it."
After the political upheaval in neighbouring Bihar, talks have started doing the rounds in Uttar Pradesh if it could be replicated in the most populous state which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. It is also being debated in political circles if Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati would again join hands against the BJP in 2024.
Though the "Bua-Babua" (Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav) failed to stop the BJP in Uttar Pradesh in 2019, they managed to lower its tally to 62 from 71 in 2014. The BJP's number went up to 64 after victories in Azamgarh and Rampur in the by-election. Its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) led by Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel has two MPs.
In the opposition camp, the BSP has 10 MPs while Yadav's strength has come down to three from five after the bypoll defeats. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the lone representative of her party from UP.
Asked about his party's role in the formation of an alternative, Yadav said, "Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar are working on it. Our focus as of now is on strengthening our party in the state."
On record Covid vaccination in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said that all "data for the second dose vaccination is fake". Attacking the state government on the law and order situation, Yadav said it was in a "bad shape" while the medical system had collapsed.
"There is no medicine, no treatment and no operation. The machines used have become obsolete be it for X-ray, MRI or CT scan. In the medical university in the state, 'dalals' are roaming," Yadav said and added, “Officers and ministers are doing 'manmarji' (working on whims and fancies), while the chief minister is busy in review meetings.”