U.P. CM prioritised his home turf over 2 Varanasi seats in MLC polls: Akhilesh

BJP’s performance has turned out to be a flop show despite the way they misused power to win the elections, said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Friday.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of securing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s victory in the Gorakhpur-Faizabad division Legislative teachers’ constituency at the cost of the two Legislative Council seats in the Varanasi region. “Let Kashi drown, but our Gorakhpur business must not stop,” the senior Opposition leader remarked.

Mr. Adityanath has been a five-term MP from Gorakhpur and currently represents the Gorakhpur (Urban) constituency in the Assembly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in his second term as the Lok Sabha member from Varanasi.

As per the final tally, declared on Thursday afternoon, of the 11 U.P. Legislative Council seats that went to the polls on October 23, the BJP won six while the SP raised its tally from the previous MLC polls by two.

Addressing a media briefing at the party headquarters after meeting the party candidates, including the five winners, the SP chief said Mr. Adityanath was busy “prioritising and protecting his home turf” over his party’s prospects elsewhere. Citing the geographical spread of 11 constituencies, the former CM said the BJP had lost in 50 districts and cities.

“Legislative Council election results are just the beginning. BJP’s performance has turned out to be a flop show despite the way they misused power to win the elections. It has sent a message to the public. The BJP bagged six seats through deceit while the Samajwadi Party won on a public mandate. The BJP has financial muscle while we are competing against it through the power of the masses,” he said.

Claiming that women had voted against ruling party candidates in large numbers, Mr. Yadav said that the election results will strengthen democracy and his party’s movement “to establish the rule of social justice” and ensure justice for the PDA, which stands for ‘Pichhde’ (backward classes), Dalits and ‘Alpsankhyak’ (minorities), communities.

The SP chief also hit out at the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in U.P. over the state of education and unemployment. “The government is ruining the education system and examination processes. It has closed 26,000 primary schools and curbed employment avenues for teachers. More than 20 examination papers have been leaked under this government,” said Mr. Yadav.

“All women teachers voted against the BJP after seeing how the government is shutting down primary schools. Where will the daughters go to study? The issues that the Samajwadi Party has raised and the promises it has made resonate with the teachers. If a Samajwadi government is formed, primary to postgraduate education will be made free,” he said.