BJP polarising voters to divert attention from ‘failures’ ahead of 2027 UP polls: Akash Anand

Addressing a public meeting in the Badhapur assembly constituency in Bijnor district, he attacked the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress, and appealed to people to elect BSP chief Mayawati as chief minister for a fifth term. He also announced Tanya Nagpal as the party’s candidate from the Badhapur assembly seat.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national convenor Akash Anand on Saturday accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of playing the Hindu-Muslim card to divert public attention from its failures and polarise voters ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

Akash Anand alleged that heinous crimes and offences against women had increased over the past decade. (File)

Addressing a public meeting in the Badhapur assembly constituency in Bijnor district, he attacked the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress, and appealed to people to elect BSP chief Mayawati as chief minister for a fifth term. He also announced Tanya Nagpal as the party’s candidate from the Badhapur assembly seat.

Targeting the BJP, Anand said the government had spent ₹7,000 crore over the past 10 years telling people that Uttar Pradesh had become developed and safe, but had “failed to improve government hospitals, fill 13 lakh vacant government posts, prevent question paper leaks, reopen 25,000 closed schools and fill 1.5 lakh vacant teaching posts.”

He alleged that heinous crimes and offences against women had increased over the past decade. While the state government projected itself as an “encounter government”, most encounters were fake, he claimed. He also accused the government of depriving children from weaker sections of access to education.

Anand said petrol, LPG and essential commodities had become costlier and accused the BJP government of failing on development, security and employment. He urged people to ensure that the BJP did not return to power in the 2027 assembly elections.

He also criticised the SP and Congress, accusing them of using the Constitution and the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank to secure votes. Rahul Gandhi, he said, carried a copy of the Constitution but remained silent on the exploitation of weaker sections in Congress-ruled states.

Referring to the Gen Z movement that led to the resignation of a Union minister, Anand alleged that Gandhi had taken credit for the development but remained silent when a question paper was leaked in a Congress-ruled state. He accused the Congress of adopting double standards.

“The BJP and the Congress are two sides of the same coin,” he said, alleging that the Congress had failed to honour Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar with the Bharat Ratna. He also accused the party of neglecting weaker sections and using the minority community as a vote bank. Gandhi, he alleged, had not opposed the anti-reservation movement launched in Delhi.

Targeting SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Anand said he was confused about the party’s PDA plank. He condemned Yadav’s remarks about the grandchildren of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh and demanded an apology. He also accused the SP of opposing reservation in promotions in Parliament.

Anand further alleged that SP leaders wore blue scarves and sought votes in Ambedkar’s name but did not follow his ideals. He accused the previous SP government of worsening law and order, citing the Muzaffarnagar riots in which over 60 people were killed and thousands rendered homeless. He also alleged that the SP government had renamed districts, institutions and parks named after Dalit icons.

“Congress and SP leaders call the BSP the BJP’s B-team, but in the recently held Rajya Sabha elections, the SP gave a ticket to the son of a BJP MP. The SP chief did not consider candidates from the Dalit or Muslim communities for the Rajya Sabha. Who is helping the BJP is clear to everyone. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the Lok Sabha that Akhilesh Yadav is a friend and helps us. The SP is the BJP’s B-team,” Anand said.