Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who began his campaign with a Vijay Rath Yatra from Kanpur on October 12, spoke to CNN News 18 at the Hamirpur Circuit House about his “big” agenda for electoral Uttar Pradesh.
Recalling his experience in coalition politics, the former chief minister said the Samajwadi Party would not have any tie-up with “big parties”. “I don’t think SP will have any alliance with Congress or BSP.” He also said that the ruling BJP “knows that the SP is the real challenge” and hence it is trying to create a false impression about the growing strength of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
Here are the excerpts of the interview:
What is this slogan – ‘Change into a cycle in 2022’?
We stand for a change that will bring relief to the farmers, youth and people of UP. The promises made by the BJP government in its manifesto have failed on every front. The way trade and business has collapsed, this victory is to ensure justice to them. The Vijay Rath of Samajwadi Party will continue to walk with the people.
What is the big agenda of your campaign?
Look how the farmers have been crushed. Farmers’ income has not increased… We promise change in the lives of farmers. Not a single new unit of power generation has come up in the state. High electricity tariffs are crushing farmers and businesses. We promise to change the power reform and provide free electricity to the farmers. Our agenda is to provide employment to the youth and bring UP on the path of development. Dalits and minorities were harassed and oppressed during the BJP’s five-year rule. Samajwadi Party will remove this injustice.
You once said that you are not keen on big parties. The leaders of that big party are now very active in UP.
UP election is about the people of UP. People want change. In a democracy every party has the right to campaign but the public knows whom to vote for. BJP should not expect much as people have already made up their mind.
But don’t you think division of non-BJP votes is a challenge?
BJP should not be worried about this. People have decided to change and they know whose government did the work on the ground. SP is going to do a clean sweep.
In 2017 and 2019, you entered into an alliance. Are you keeping alliance options open for now?
Our experience of alliances with big parties has been bitter. So now we are hoping to bring smaller parties together and not bigger parties.
Are all possibilities of alliance with Congress now closed?
I don’t think SP will have any alliance with Congress or BSP.
Ajay Mishra Teni has not resigned from the post of minister yet.
First of all I spoke to the injured farmer leader. Samajwadi Party Farmers of UP have decided to wipe out BJP and they see hope in Samajwadi Party.
The detention of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and then Rahul Gandhi and allowing her to go to Lakhimpur Kheri, don’t you think the BJP is deliberately projecting the Congress?
People are watching BJP’s strategy. The BJP knows that the real challenge is the SP. And so they are trying to create confusion, create misconceptions. But all these strategies will fail.
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