E-Paper
UP polls: Let BJP lose by biggest margin in Karhal, says Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav is contesting the Karhal assembly seat in the UP polls. It is part of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency, which SP chief patron Mulayam Singh Yadav represents in Parliament
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday asked his party workers to ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s loss by the biggest margin is from the Karhal assembly seat, which the SP chief is contesting in the UP polls. Akhilesh Yadav, a four-time MP who currently represents Azamgarh in the Lok Sabha, is contesting his first assembly election.
“If the BJP loses by the biggest margin, it should be from the Karhal assembly constituency which had been a favourite of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Voters here are always with the SP. The election here is for saving democracy. This place has had a relationship with Mulayam Singh Yadav since the days when he was a wrestler,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
Karhal assembly segment is part of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency, which SP chief patron Mulayam Singh Yadav represents in Parliament.
Akhilesh Yadav was in Karhal to address a party workers’ meeting in connection with the UP polls.
The Samajwadi Party had made the announcement that Akhilesh Yadav will contest the upcoming polls from Karhal shortly after the BJP fielded chief minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur urban, his stronghold.
“I wanted to contest the election before Yogiji and thus chose Karhal going to polls in the third phase (February 20). I thank your MLA Sobran Singh Yadav who has left the seat for me,” he said.
“I am the Azamgarh MP and they (the people of Azamgarh) may be annoyed on my contesting the MLA election from Karhal. But I am here to say that Azamgarh would always get priority for development and (would be) as dear to me as Saifai and Mainpuri,” Akhilesh said .
‘All eyes are now on Karhal, so ensure the biggest victory for the Samajwadi Party on this seat,” he said.
Highlighting his regime’s work and taking a pot shot at the BJP, he said, “Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) had asked about the date of completion of the Agra- Lucknow Expressway when he was laying the foundation for it. The expressway was completed in record time and fighter planes landed on it. Karhal is well connected to it. The BJP stopped the project for bringing up a mandi (market) alongside the expressway.”
“There is no mention of my name or netaji’s (Mulayam Singh Yadav) name on the Agra- Lucknow Expressway but BJP leaders have their names. The BJP’s favourite work is to build shauchalay (toilet) and thus they have placed their names at these toilets alongside the expressway,” the SP chief alleged.
Continuing his attack on the ruling party, Akhilesh Yadav said, “The BJP alleges that development has only taken place in Saifai (Akhilesh’s ancestral village) but we have undertaken development all over the state. Jain Inter College, where netaji studied and taught in Mainpuri, will be upgraded to a university. An institute to train job seekers will come up in Karhal.”
He also promised to general employment once voted to power.
“All government vacancies will be filled. I will seek votes for the SP candidates statewide but Karhal residents should ensure my victory here,” he said.
Karhal is a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party since 1993, with only one exception. In the 2002 assembly election, the seat went to the BJP. Sobaran Singh Yadav (of the Samajwadi Party) is the sitting MLA from Karhal. He was with the BJP when he won the seat in 2002. Since 2007, he has been contesting on the SP ticket.
Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav have been MPs, but they have never contested assembly elections before. Both took the Vidhan Parishad route to become members of the UP legislature when they took office as chief ministers in 2012 and 2017 respectively.
