‘In case of voting in council polls, many BJP MLAs will cross vote’
Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav has said if voting takes place for the biennial elections to 12 seats of UP Legislative Council, there will be cross-voting by many BJP MLAs as they, as per him, are apprehensive that the party will not give then a ticket for 2022 UP assembly polls. The biennial polls are due to be held on January 28.
Addressing a press conference during his visit to Shravasti, where the SP held a training camp for its activists, Yadav on Monday said: “I do not know how many candidates have filed nominations (nominations were still going on while Akhilesh was addressing the press conference), but if voting is held the BJP will have to take good care of its MLAs as many are ready to run away, knowing that they would be denied tickets in the 2022 election.” He was later told that 13 nominations had been filed for 12 seats in the state upper house.
Taking about 2022 UP assembly polls, the SP president said that his party would contest the polls on its own but will keep its doors open for smaller parties, including that of his estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav. “The Samajwadi Party will fight the
2022 polls on its own but keep space for smaller parties and keep its doors open for them,” Yadav said.
Asked if this meant that the SP would enter into an understanding with his uncle’s Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L), Yadav said he had already said several times that the doors were open for him (Shivpal) and if there was any other winnable candidate of his party, they too would be considered.
“We have already said we will not contest in his (Shivpal’s) area (Jaswant Nagar seat from where Shivpal in an MLA) and he would be made a minister after the formation of the government and given due respect and if there are any other winnable
candidate (in PSP-L) that the party would consider making a room,” the SP chief said.
Taking a dig at the ruling party on the farmers’ issues, he said the BJP gives membership on missed calls and asked for the mobile phone number which will ensure that farmers get the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
On the Covid vaccine, Yadav said he had nothing against scientists and doctors but had complaints against the government. “I want to ask the BJP government when the poor will get free vaccination,” he said, alleging that the government did not want to provide vaccines to the poor for free.