Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who is on a two-day visit to Bhubaneswar, on Thursday expressed hope of setting up a state unit in Odisha and fielding candidates in future assembly elections. The SP chief, accompanied by his wife and party MP Dimple Yadav, visited the Jagannath Temple in Bhubaneswar earlier on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, Akhilesh said, “I am hopeful that the Samajwadi Party will soon be established in Odisha. Our primary focus will be to build the organisation at the district level and launch a membership drive, after which we can look forward to expanding to the assembly constituency level. Thereafter, we can prepare for the state assembly elections as well.”
On his PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) formula, the SP chief said the idea behind coining the term was to bring together backwards, Dalits, and minorities under one umbrella to collectively fight against the atrocities and injustices they have faced.
The former U.P. chief minister also claimed that the development work undertaken by his government (2012-2017) was later replicated by other states, be it laptop distribution for students, free electricity and mandis for farmers, or ₹500 per month for women.
On the recently amended Waqf law, Akhilesh said, “The BJP knows how to snatch things from people. Recently, they got the Waqf Amendment Bill passed because they want to grab the land. BJP leaders have become religious only for the sake of power. The Uttar Pradesh CM says he is a ‘Yogi’, but I don’t think he has ever come here for darshan of Lord Jagannath Ji.”
{{/usCountry}}On the recently amended Waqf law, Akhilesh said, “The BJP knows how to snatch things from people. Recently, they got the Waqf Amendment Bill passed because they want to grab the land. BJP leaders have become religious only for the sake of power. The Uttar Pradesh CM says he is a ‘Yogi’, but I don’t think he has ever come here for darshan of Lord Jagannath Ji.”
{{/usCountry}}Taking a dig at chief minister Yogi Adityanath, he added, “Most of the work in U.P. today is done by Delhi, and what remains is handled by the people. Everything has been taken away from the chief minister; he cannot even appoint a DGP of his choice.”