In the wake of the positive response that the Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance has been getting in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister and party president Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday that the SP-Congress alliance will not be confined to the State alone and it would fight communal forces which are spreading politics of hatred. Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “BJP storm” remark against him, Akhilesh said during a rally in Sitapur that the “Samajwadis know how to ride a cycle through a storm.”
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, dispelling all rumours of being unhappy with the SP-Congress tie-up for the UP Assembly elections, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said he will start campaigning for the alliance from Tuesday.
“I am confident the alliance will win UP Assembly polls. Akhilesh will be the Chief Minister if the alliance wins,” he told reporters in Parliament on Monday.
Mulayam also brushed aside statements by his brother Shivpal Yadav that he will break away from the SP and form a new party. “How will he form a new partyIJ He must have said that in anger,” Mulayam said.
Akhilesh Yadav had a busy day on Monday and addressed seven elections meetings covering seven Assembly segments out of eight in Sitapur district.
In all the meetings, Yadav was accompanied by senior Congress leader and former Deputy Speaker of UP Assembly Azam Rizvi. The Chief Minister in his meetings introduced SP candidates as representatives of the SP- Congress alliance and canvassed for support.
Visibly elated over the fresh endorsement of SP-Congress alliance by his father, the SP president said, “Netaji’s blessing is with us and there was no discord at any level in the party. The sole agenda of every partymen should be victory of the party candidates so that the SP-Congress coalition could form the next Government in UP with a comfortable majority.’’
The SP president also countered Modi’s jibe at Aligarh that the BJP storm in the State, forced the SP to seek alliance with the Congress.
Akhilesh retorted, “The Samajwadis are in the habit of facing the storm. We formed the Government in UP in 2012 after fighting the storm. We will also face the BJP storm as we know how to pedal the cycle against the wind.’’
His barb came at a series of election meetings in Sitapur and adjoining lakhimpur Kheri a day after Modi said in Aligarh on Sunday that, “...When the wind is so strong, even a young leader cannot face it and seeks help of anything ...Even a pole...But this time BJP ‘aandhi’ (storm) is so strong that the Chief Minister fears that he might be blown off...”
He said, “If he (Modi) feels storm in UP, he might have felt some strong winds in Punjab also.”
Akhilesh charged Modi with misrepresenting facts and figures about UP.
Reacting to Modi’s remark on poor law and order situation in the State, Akhilesh said, “God knows from where the PM obtained figures (about UP)...The Prime Minister should have honestly put up correct figures before the people.”
Continuing his diatribe, the Chief Minister said, “If there be the worst States in country in terms of law and order on number 1, number 2 and number 3 slots, these are the BJP-ruled States.”
Akhilesh listed the achievements of his Government and said that more development will take place if SP returned to power.
Attacking the BJP, he said, “This party made people stand in queues outside banks...Many poor people lost their lives but the BJP did not come to their rescue. It was the SP Government that announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakh for the families of such people.
“No one got Rs 15 lakh after all the money was deposited into bank accounts (during the demonetisation drive). Now, they are not telling us how much black money... How much ill-gotten money is there.”
On the SP-Congress poll alliance, the Chief Minister said, “It has accelerated the pace of SP’s cycle...We did not act like a miser friend. We gave a good number of seats to Congress.”
Explaining the nitty gritty of the alliance, Yadav said that the SP Government during its five year tenure accelerated development in the State.
“Vote for Samajwadi Party for taking this process to the logical conclusion where every citizen will be covered by the benefits of development and prosperity,’’ said Akhilesh.
The SP chief’s prestige is at stake in Sitapur as he had denied ticket to sitting MlAs Rampal Yadav and Mahendra Singh ‘Jheen Babu’ in the district. Both are contesting and giving a tough fight to the SP candidates.
Besides, the Yadav community in Sitapur is also sore with SP and Akhilesh over denial of ticket to Rampal Yadav. He was expelled by Akhilesh in January last year and later readmitted by former state SP chief Shivpal Yadav and also given a party ticket.