Claiming himself as the “kingmaker”, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday said no party can form a Government at the Centre in 2019 without the support from the SP.
Addressing SP party workers here on the occasion of his 79th birthday, Mulayam claimed that he can turn the tide in SP’s favour in 2019 general elections.
“You should arrange my meetings at divisional level and I will turn the tide in Samajwadi Party’s favour so that no one could form the Government at the Centre without our support,” Yadav told party leaders while addressing them at State SP headquarters in Lucknow.
Asking party workers to start working for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the SP patron said that the party would return to power in the State but workers should work for capturing power at the Centre.
Mulayam said the SP’s ideology was to empower the poor, farmers and youths besides giving more opportunity to women.
“If women are with you, no one can stop us from forming a Government and making the party stronger,” he said.
However, without taking any names, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that there were some people in the party who were working against the party and trying to lead the party to isolation. "If workers go before the people with the party's ideology, no one can stop it from becoming strong," he said. "Always try to fight against injustice and support people who talk about justice. This will take the party to achieve its milestone," he said.
Senior party leader Kironmoy Nanda and Ahmed Hasan were also present at the SP headquarters during the function.
Earlier, SP president Akhilesh Yadav wished his father at his residence along with his children before leaving for poll-bound Madhya Pradesh for campaigning.
The SP workers played drums and danced in front of the party office in Lucknow to celebrate the occasion. A hoarding war was also witnessed between Akhilesh and Shivpal factions over the celebration of Mulayam's birthday. The area near offices of both parties was covered with hoardings wishing Mulayam on his birthday.
While wishing his father on his birthday, Akhilesh tweeted : "He (Mulayam) has taught me the truth of 'ahimsa' of Mahatma Gandhi and the ideology of Lohiaji which says that to end evil, you have to identify the evil."
State SP president Naresh Uttam said on Thursday that Mulayam Singh's birthday was being celebrated in a grand manner in the entire state. "Party workers distributed fruits and sweets among the poor, while blood donation camps were also organised," he said.