Young Gujarati Patidar reservation leader Hardik Patel met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Thursday and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that it would not come to power at any cost at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls.
“Uttar Pradesh will play a pivotal role in the Lok Sabha polls and it will also show the door to the BJP,” Patel said, claiming that the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance would sweep the polls in the state.
In a joint press conference with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Patel said that he would support any party which was opposed to the BJP like SP, BSP and Congress in UP, but his first choice would be the SP.
He also denied any intention of contesting the Lok Sabha polls from UP. “I have been coming to UP for the last 3-4 months and there is a strong resentment against the (Narendra) Modi and Yogi (Adityanath) governments everywhere. The farmers and youths are depressed in this regime while fake promises made by the Prime Minister before and after the elections indicate the ruling party’s anti-people stance,” the 25-year-old leader said.
While admitting that the BJP had become very powerful in the country, Patel said the opposition would have to throw out the regime which has been violating all constitutional norms.
“I am still learning politics by going around the states. But it is true that the Gujarat model showcased by Modi and other BJP leaders has fallen flat. In Gujarat, there are 20 districts which do not have irrigation facilities. Those opposing the BJP are termed as anti-nationals and those who support their anti-constitutional approach are stamped as nationalists,” Patel said.
The Patidar leader also raised the issue of intelligence failure leading to the killing of over 40 CRPF jawans in Pulwama, Kashmir. “This BJP government at the Centre has failed to deliver and is playing politics over the country’s security. In other words, I can say that the BJP is doing politics on every issue,” he said.
When asked if a joint opposition against the BJP in UP could have been more powerful, Patel said, “I tried for a grand SP-BSP-Congress alliance but it did not materialise.”