Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav intensified his attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government, saying the chief minister should not contest elections as the ruling party was all set to lose the 2022 UP assembly elections.
The SP chief said that his candidature would be decided by the party at the right time.
“My party leaders would decide at the right time whether I should contest the polls or not,” he clarified.
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had categorically said that he would not contest the assembly polls.
Responding to the statement of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that he would contest the assembly poll from wherever his party decided, the SP president said, “Baba Chief Minister should not contest elections as the BJP is going to lose the polls. As far as my candidature is concerned, the party will decide from where and when I have to contest elections.”
Earlier on Friday, Yogi Adityanath had said, “I have always contested elections and I will contest from wherever the party will say. The party has a parliamentary board and it decides who will contest from where.”
Speaking to media on the occasion of the inauguration of the office of the Janwadi Party Socialist, an ally of the Samajwadi Party, here on Saturday, Akhilesh said, “The Samajwadi Party and Janwadi Party Socialist demand a caste-based census so that those ignored could get proper representation and respect.”
“Today the inflation is sky-rocketing, but the BJP thinks that people will vote for them if they reduce petrol and diesel prices by a few rupees. The SP believes that even if they make the petrol prices zero then also people are going to throw the BJP government out in the 2022 UP polls,” he said.
“As soon as the elections inch closer and they lose by-polls they start looking towards petrol and diesel, however, they still cannot see towards the big red coloured cylinder even now which is literally now out of reach of the common man. The principles of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia have been ignored by this government and the government is hell-bent on selling everything,” Akhilesh added.
The SP chief promised to install a statue of King Prithvi Raj Chauhan and said that even a museum would be built on the achievements and life of the king.
“There has been talk of alliance with different parties. Seats will also be decided soon. We have an alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal. Soon, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president Shivpal Singh Yadav will also be with us," Akhilesh Yadav said.
Yadav said that by this month the process of electoral alliance with other parties would be completed.
However, sources said that a formal alliance with Shivpal Singh Yadav and other smaller parties like RLD, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party and others would be announced on the birthday of party’s patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav here on November 21.