Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party state president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday questioned the much-hyped Gujarat model and asked the BJP to clarify it, saying it was a “big lie”.
Addressing three election meetings in Sitapur on Wednesday, Akhilesh Yadav said, “There is nothing like Gujarat model as is being propagated by the Bharatiya Janata Party. They should tell what it is. No one knows about it. It’s just a big lie.”Yadav assured the people that the power supply position would soon improve and the rural areas would get uninterrupted power supply for 14 to 16 hours and the urban areas for 20 hours every day.
The SP state chief lambasted the Congress for its wrong policies because of which the BJP was spreading a false picture.“The Samajwadi Party will counter the communal forces,” he said while pointing out that the SP had launched several welfare schemes in the state.“I have visited Gujarat and I am sure that the UP model of development is far better than that of Gujarat,” he said.
The SP state chief exuded confidence that a third front would form the government at the Centre under the leadership of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.Targeting BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Yadav said he (Modi) was not the BJP nominee for the top post but a representative of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtra Swayamsewak Sangh and Bajrang Dal.
“He was made candidate first by the VHP, RSS and Bajrang Dal and later by the BJP. They have taken the path of communalism for winning seats in UP,” Yadav alleged, adding that the BJP did not have any programmes for the people and this was why issues like 2G, 3G and now ‘jijaji’ (brother-in-law) were being raised by them.
“How many of you understand the 2G and 3G (scams). Now they are talking of ‘jijaji’. Some of you might understand this. But are these issues on which elections are foughtIJ” he asked.Terming the BJP and the Congress as two sides of the same coin, Yadav said both these parties promote corruption as 2G was started during BJP regime, and 3G during that of the Congress.
Attacking the BJP further, Yadav said that it was claiming to be winning a number of seats in the country when the fact was the opposite.“I want to ask them how many seats they are winning in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. They have no presence there. In reality, there are Third front parties in these states and they are rising,” he said.
“In UP, the SP is gaining, while in other seats the third front parties are increasing tally. The front will be able to form government and Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav), who is the most experienced and has even made Chief Minister (in UP) will play a crucial role in it”, Yadav claimed.Yadav sought support for SP candidates Jaiprakash Rawat in Mishrikh, for Anand Bhadauria at Dhaurhara in Hargaon and for Bharat Tripathi at laharpur.