Akhilesh Yadav calls Bihar development positive sign, hopes strong alternative emerges to BJP in 2024

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New
Delhi,
Aug
18:
Samajwadi
Party
chief
Akhilesh
Yadav
said
on
Thursday
that
the
political
shift
in
Bihar
is
a
”positive
sign”
and
hoped
a
strong
alternative
to
the
BJP
is
formed
in
the
2024
Parliamentary
polls.

He
also
claimed
that
the
BJP’s
allies
in
Uttar
Pradesh
are
not
happy
with
it
and
will
also
break
free
from
the
saffron
party
in
the
future.

JD(U)’s
Nitish
Kumar
recently
dumped
the
BJP
and
joined
hands
with
Lalu
Prasad’s
Rashtriya
Janata
Dal
(RJD),
the
Congress,
and
other
parties
to
form
a
new
government
in
Bihar.

In
an
interview
with
PTI
at
the
party
headquarter
here,
Yadav
said
his
party
is
focusing
on
strengthening
and
restructuring
its
organization
and
will
be
holding
a
national
convention
this
year.

Akhilesh Yadav congratulates Nitish, Tejashwi on taking oath as Bihar CM, Dy CM

The
SP
chief
also
accused
the
Election
Commission
of
”dishonesty” and
blamed
it
for
his
party’s
defeat
in
the
assembly
polls
as
well
in
the
polls
for
Azamgarh
and
Ramgarh
seats.
When
asked
about
the
developments
in
Bihar,
the
former
Uttar
Pradesh
chief
minister
said,
”It
(Bihar
development)
is
a
positive
sign
for
the
country’s
politics.”
”Political
allies
are
not
happy
with
the
BJP.
See
in
UP
what
they
(BJP
allies)
are
getting.
One
day
they
will
also
run
away
from
them,”
he
said
without
elaborating.

The
BJP
had
tied
up
with
the
Apna
Dal
(Sonelal)
and
Nishad
party
in
the
assembly
polls.

About
the
2024
parliamentary
polls,
Yadav
said,
”I
hope
a
strong
alternative
will
be
formed
against
the
BJP
and
people
will
support
it.” About
his
party’s
role
in
the
formation
of
an
alternative,
Yadav
said,
”Telangana
Chief
Minister
K
Chandrashekar
Rao,
West
Bengal
Chief
Minister
Mamata
Banerjee
and
Nationalist
Congress
Party
chief
Sharad
Pawar
are
working
on
it.
Our
focus
as
of
now
is
strengthening
our
party
in
the
state.”
After
the
political
upheaval
in
neighboring
Bihar,
talks
started
doing
the
rounds
in
Uttar
Pradesh
if
it
could
be
replicated
in
the
most
populous
state
which
sends
a
maximum
of
80
MPs
to
Lok
Sabha.
It
was
also
debated
in
political
circles
if
Yadav
and
BSP
supremo
Mayawati
would
again
combine
against
the
BJP
in
2024.

Though
the
”Bua-Babua”
(Mayawati
and
Akhilesh
Yadav)
failed
to
stop
the
BJP
in
Uttar
Pradesh
in
2019,
they
managed
to
lower
its
tally
to
62
from
71
in
2014.

The
BJP’s
number
went
up
to
64
after
victory
in
Azamgarh
and
Rampur
in
the
by-election.
Its
ally
Apna
Dal
(Sonelal)
led
by
union
minister
of
state
Anupriya
Patel
has
two
MPs.

In
the
opposition
camp,
the
BSP
has
10
MPs
while
Yadav’s
strength
has
come
down
to
three
from
five
after
the
bypoll
defeat.
Congress
president
Sonia
Gandhi
is
the
lone
representative
of
her
party
from
UP.

If
BJP
allowed
to
become
stronger,
people
may
lose
their
voting
right:
Akhilesh
Yadav

Though
there
is
no
early
indication
of
a
realignment
of
parties
in
Uttar
Pradesh,
BJP
leaders
have
already
dismissed
any
impact
on
them
if
it
comes,
saying
the
different
combination
of
opposition
parties
have
faced
drubbing
from
the
saffron
party
in
2014
as
well
in
2019
and
also
state
polls.
Yadav
said
the
SP
will
hold
a
national
convention
this
year
and
the
focus
is
on
strengthening
the
party
at
the
booth
level.

”Our
membership
drive
is
going
on
and
is
getting
a
good
response.
This
time
the
drive
is
through
a
mobile
app,
online
and
QR
code
also
besides
traditional
ways,”
he
added.
About
the
municipal
corporation
polls
scheduled
later
this
year,
Yadav
said
the
party
has
made
in-charges
for
this
and
preparation
is
on.

Yadav
said
the
SP
had
contested
past
polls
with
an
appeal
to
save
democracy
and
now
after
the
polls,
the
results
are
in
front
of
everyone.

”There
is
no
unbiased
institution
left
in
the
country.
Under
pressure,
the
government
is
getting
whatever
it
wants
from
these
institutions,”
Yadav
alleged.

Blaming
the
EC
for
the
party’s
rout
in
assembly
polls
and
by-polls,
he
said,
”The
EC
did
a
lot
of
dishonesty.
It
did
not
hear
opposition
voices.
A
large
number
of
votes
were
cut
from
the
electoral
rolls.”
”In
Rampur,
SP
workers
were
not
allowed
to
cast
votes
while
in
Azamgarh,
red
cards
were
issued
to
SP
workers.
Was
the
EC
sleeping?
It
did
not
pay
heed
to
our
complaints,”
Yadav
alleged,
asking
the
poll
body
to
improve
its
functioning.

On
record
Covid
vaccination
in
Uttar
Pradesh,
Yadav
alleged
that
all
”data
for
the
second
dose
vaccination
is
fake”.
Attacking
the
state
government
on
the
law
and
order
situation,
Yadav
said
it
is
in
”bad
shape”
while
the
medical
system
has
collapsed.
”There
is
no
medicine,
no
treatment,
and
no
operation.
The
machines
used
have
become
obsolete
be
it
for
X-ray,
MRI,
or
CT
Scan.
In
medical
universities
in
the
state
‘deals’
are
roaming,”
Yadav
said.

Officers
and
ministers
are
doing
‘manmarji’
(working
on
whims
and
fancies),
while
the
chief
minister
is
busy
in
review
meetings,
he
added.

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