2024 poll is for saving democracy and India’s Constitution: Akhilesh
SP chief says on one side are those who want to run the government according to the Republic’s values, on the other forces that are snatching away every power given by the Constitution
amajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday pitched the upcoming general election as one being held under “special circumstances” to save the values of the Indian Republic and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of endangering democracy and the Constitution.
STriangular contest
“The BJP people are playing with the Constitution and democratic institutions. Neither are our farmers getting the right price for their crops nor are our youth getting proper employment. They (BJP) are playing with everyone’s future. The 2024 election is being held under special circumstances where on one side there are people who want to run the country as per the Constitution, and on the other side those forces that are snatching away each and every power given to us by the Constitution,” he said at an election rally in support of the SP candidate Deepak Saini in Bijnor, which goes to the polls in the first phase on April 19.
Bijnor Lok Sabha constituency is likely to witness a triangular contest with Mr. Saini pitted against Chandan Chauhan of the Rashtriya Lokdal Dal, a BJP ally, and Chaudhary Vijendra Singh of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
‘Bribed, poached’
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly alleged that MLAs in the State are being bribed and poached by the BJP.
“Our rights are being snatched away. Even the MLAs who were elected by your vote and support were swayed to their side through bribes. You made them win with your votes.
They did not only deceive us, they also deceived common voters,” he said.
Mr. Yadav brought up the U.P. examination paper leak issue, which has roiled the State recently, alleging that the big claims of worldclass arrangements went into a tailspin adversely impacting the lives of millions of youth.
Paper leaks
“Think about it. The government claimed that the paper cannot be leaked. Did the paper get leaked or not?” he asked the crowd.
The SP chief cautioned people about being taken in by the BJP slogan of ‘ 400 paar’ (over 400 seats), saying the party will bring the nowscrapped farm laws. “If they win 400 (seats), they will hand over our agriculture and the produce grown in our fields to big industrialists,” he said.
Mr. Yadav also hit out at the BJP for calling the opposition INDIA bloc “INDI alliance”.
“These people cannot even read the name of INDIA, who is going to vote for them,” he said.
Besides Bijnor, seven other Lok Sabha constituencies in U.P. are going to polls in the first phase – Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina (SC), Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit.