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UP polls: Akhilesh targets Yogi, invokes Ambedkar
Akhilesh Yadav mostly referred to chief minister Yogi Adityanath as “Baba Mukhyamantri” and sharpened his attacks on the BJP government for allegedly failing to help the people during the Covid-19 pandemic
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday targeted “Baba” (a reference to chief minister Yogi Adityanath) and invoked Babasaheb (BR Ambedkar) as he campaigned for his party’s candidates in the assembly constituencies of Badaun and Shahjahanpur that go to vote in the second phase of the seven-phase UP polls on February 14.
Akhilesh Yadav mostly referred to chief minister Yogi Adityanath as “Baba Mukhyamantri” and sharpened his attacks on the BJP government for allegedly failing to help the people during the Covid-19 pandemic while calling upon the people to vote the BJP government out of power to save the Constitution given by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.
He also referred to Ambedkar to target the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), saying, “There are political parties that have distracted from the path shown by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.”
He used the occasion to counter charges that the BJP leaders have been levelling against the previous SP regimes. The BJP’s claims of “double engine” government (the BJP government at the centre and in the state) only meant double corruption in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav said.
Akhilesh Yadav claimed that people in the first phase of polling (on February 10) have voted in favour of the SP-led alliance.
“The 2022 UP assembly election result is scheduled to be declared on March 10. But the people (who voted in the first phase) have declared the result a month before, indicating that the Samajwadi Party-led coalition’s government is going to be formed in Uttar Pradesh,” Yadav said, addressing a convention of workers in Badaun on Saturday.
“Baba CM is saying he will take out ‘garmi’ (heat) and his party’s workers have developed cold feet (thande pad gaye hain) after the first phase of polling,” said Yadav.
As Yogi has been targeting the previous Samajwadi Party government for the alleged dominance of mafia dons and criminals, Akhilesh Yadav countered the accusations: “Whatever Baba chief minister sees in the mirror in morning he repeats the same at his public meetings the whole day.”
Akhilesh Yadav said this at a public meeting at Loda Baheri, Badaun.
He referred to the alliance that Samajwadi Party has worked out with the Rashtriya Lok Dal and others and said, “We have brought smaller parties together. We have also brought Chacha (Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia chief Shivpal Singh Yadav) with us.”
The former chief minister further said, “This time (SP’s) preparations are much better than earlier. No other political party will be able to win any seat in Uttar Pradesh. Prices of petrol and diesel have gone up. The prices that had crossed ₹100 per litre may reach ₹200 per litre. The poor and the youth are not able to drive their vehicles.”
The SP chief said all the BJP leaders spoke lies during the 2022 assembly election campaign.
“All the BJP men tell lies. A small worker tells a small lie, while a big leader speaks bigger lies. The biggest leader speaks the biggest lies. They (BJP leaders) talked about doubling income of farmers. But did it double? Youngsters carry smartphones here. Is there anyone who got smartphone from Baba CM?” Akhilesh Yadav asked.
The Samajwadi Party chief said campaigning earlier was being done door-to-door and through virtual rallies but the Election Commission has now allowed physical meetings too.
“But the BJP has stopped (going) door to door when the people began showing the BJP workers the LPG cylinder due to its high price tag,” he said.
Responding to the SP chief’s remarks, UP BJP co-media incharge Himanshu Dubey said, “Akhilesh ji, your time is over. People are out to reject you for fielding tainted candidates. As if your love for Jinnah wasn’t enough, now you have started siding openly with mafia, but your attempts to frighten the people won’t succeed. The trends from first round polls in western UP are encouraging enough and clearly show the writing on the wall. Just wait for March 10 when your worst fears would turn real.”
“The SP chief has invoked Ambedkar only to get votes. When the SP is in power, it does not follow ideals of Ambedkar and poses a threat to the Constitution given by Ambedkar,” said Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesman Avnish Tyagi.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has also hit out at the Samajwadi Party for pursuing the policies of caste, promoting dynastic rule and changing names of districts and institutions named after Ambedkar.
