Lucknow: The decision by opposition parties to go solo in the Uttar Pradesh by-polls helped expose the BJP’s ‘darker side’ and effectively conveyed message of their ‘failure’, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said Friday.
Fresh from the SP’s victory in by-polls, Akhilesh Yadav also said that he will revamp the party soon.
The SP turned out to be a major gainer in the UP Assembly by-polls for 11 seats, wresting a seat each from the ruling BJP and the BSP, while the NDA got eight, one less than it held.
Hitting out at the BJP, the former UP chief minister said the people voted against the saffron party and the politics of hatred, casteism and corruption.
“The BJP used to shield itself from its failure on issues related to the common man by making allegations whenever we formed an alliance to take on the saffron party jointly. They used to say that all political parties have ganged up against the BJP and the message of their failure could not be properly conveyed,” Akhilesh told this agency.
“Now the same thing is being said by opposition parties separately and people have got to know the darker side of the BJP as it could not counter the opposition onslaught. The more people know the reality of the BJP, the more they will get disenchanted with it,” he said.
Akhilesh also spoke about the SP’s role in the future. “The message is clear. Those who work on the ground will gain and emerge victorious. We will continue to raise issues of people’s interest and will stand with them,” stated Akhilesh.
The party’s victory in Rampur, he said, is enough to gauge the anger of people against the administration, which has lodged a number of ‘fake’ cases including goat and buffalo theft charges against senior SP leader and Lok Sabha member Azam Khan.
About possibility of the SP forming an alliance in the future, he said, “I have taken political risks. Arithmetic is done in elections…but all fail in front of those who remain with the people and raise their voice.
“The SP has won in Rampur, Jalalpur and Zaidpur constituencies despite administrative pressure and misuse of official machinery. Party candidate Tazeen Fatma won despite the BJP’s one-point agenda to target her and party MP Azam Khan.”
PTI
