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Akhilesh Yadav likens BJP to ‘losing wrestler’, says UP ‘will teach them lesson’ in upcoming polls
“When a wrestler begins to lose, he flaps his hands, legs, sometimes bites, scratches or strangulates. This is what BJP is doing,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed confidence of winning the upcoming state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and said that the people of the state will teach the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “a lesson” by throwing them out of power.
“When a wrestler begins to lose, he flaps his hands, legs, sometimes bites, scratches or strangulates. This is what BJP is doing. But they will be thrown out as people of UP will teach them a lesson by giving us a historic win,” news agency ANI quoted Yadav as saying.
Comments from the SP leader came after top BJP leaders, including Union home minister Amit Shah and the party’s national president JP Nadda, held door-to-door campaigns and poll rallies, seeking support for the party in various parts of the state and criticised the previous SP government.
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Further, Yadav also said that the farmers would not vote for the BJP and urged them to bring the saffron party down from power.
“This 'Lal Topi and Lal Potli' (red bundle and red hat) comprising grains will teach them (BJP) a lesson. Farmers are ready to topple BJP. We urge them to shoo the BJP away from UP. BJP will get 0 (seats) as people of Western UP will set the sun of BJP forever,” he said.
Earlier in December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while on a visit to Gorakhpur said that those wearing red caps were not bothered by the concerns of the people, in a veiled reference at the SP.
“Today, the entire UP knows very well that those wearing the red caps are concerned about the red beacon ('laal batti') and not bothered about your pain and sorrows. The red-cap people want power to commit scams, fill their coffers, indulge in illegal grabbing (of resources) and give complete freedom to the mafia,” Modi had said. It was this comment to which the SP chief had seemingly reacted on Saturday.
Targeting the BJP’s door-to-door campaign, Yadav said that the party has been “shaken to the core” and so had to resort to such campaigns.
“Jayant Chaudhary's RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) and SP alliance has been since Lok Sabha polls...This time BJP is shaken to the core, which is why they have to conduct door-to-door campaigns,” he said.
Notably, Amit Shah commented on the SP-RLD alliance earlier on Saturday and said that RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary will be replaced by Azam Khan if SP won the elections. “Yesterday, Akhilesh ji and Jayant ji held a press conference. They say that we are together. But how long is this together? If their government is formed, then Jayant ji will leave the government and Azam Khan will come back,” he said.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a seven-phase election in UP starting from February 10. The subsequent phases of polling will be held on February 14, 20, 23 and 27 and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will be done on March 10.
(With agency inputs)
