Akhilesh Yadav's ‘old trick of BJP' jibe after UP bypolls rescheduled, party hits back

The EC rescheduled assembly bypolls to all nine and four seats in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, respectively, and one seat in Kerala from November 13 to November 20

Published on: Nov 4, 2024, 18:54:06 IST

By HT News Desk

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday slammed the Election Commission's decision to reschedule the assembly bypolls to nine seats in Uttar Pradesh. He termed it an “old trick of the BJP” to avoid losing elections.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. (HT file)

"First the Milkipur bye-election was postponed, now the date of bye-elections for the rest of the seats has been rescheduled. The BJP was never so weak," the former chief minister said in a post in Hindi on X.

Yadav further said that if they (BJP) postpone it, they will lose even worse.

ALSO READ: From ‘divide’ to ‘unite’, catchphrases define high-stakes U.P. bypolls

“The fact is that due to 'maha berozgari' (unemployment) in UP, people who go to different parts of the country for work have come to UP on Diwali and Chhath holidays. They were going to vote in the by-elections to defeat the BJP,” Yadav added.

"As soon as the BJP understood this, it postponed the by-elections, so that people's holidays end and they go back without casting their vote," the SP president said.

The poll panel rescheduled assembly by-elections to all nine and four seats in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, respectively, and one seat in Kerala from November 13 to November 20 in view of festivals.

Parties including the Congress, BJP, BSP and RLD had urged the poll body to reschedule the polls in view of various festivals, saying that it could impact voter turnout.

The BJP, BSP and RLD had said that in UP, people travel for three-four days ahead of Kartik Purnima, which will be celebrated on November 15.

BJP rejects SP chief's allegations

When asked about the SP chief's allegations, state BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla told PTI, “The bypoll date shift was demanded as the date coincided with Hindu festival. But Samajwadi Party has to do politics in everything. More so in this case as they are least bothered about majoritarian sentiment but about their vote bank.”

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HT News Desk
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