UP Nikay Chunaav: BSP-BJP Fighting With Internal Understanding, Says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed the BJP and the BSP have forged an "internal understanding" for the upcoming urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh and urged voters to remain beware of the Mayawati-led party. After holding a roadshow for SP mayoral candidate Noor Hasan Malik in Saharanpur, he told reporters during a press conference that his party was following the principles of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar and socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and taking along people from all sections of society.

"The Bahujan Samaj Party has an internal understanding with the BJP. And in this election, one has to remain beware of the BSP," he said. During the campaign here, Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad accompanied Yadav. He urged people to vote in favour of the SP candidates, according to a party statement released in Lucknow. Saharanpur will vote in the first phase of the ULB polls on May 4 and the counting will take place on May 13. Hitting out at the BJP, Yadav alleged it was indulging in the politics of "spreading hate, Hindu-Muslim (divide) and conflicts in society". "They do not have any work that they can speak to people about. The BJP government has stopped the developmental work started during the (previous) Samajwadi Party government," he alleged. The SP chief also alleged that the BJP government has been unable to provide facilities in smart cities and has "cheated" people. "In the name of smart cities, there has been loot and corruption. There is dirt and garbage in cities and the drains are overflowing," he said.

"This election is about cleanliness and facilities to the public in urban areas, but the chief minister speaks about 'tamancha' (country-made pistol). When questions pertaining to cleanliness, traffic, unemployment, price rise and other public grievances are asked to the chief minister, the answer is 'tamancha'. What can be expected from such an honourable chief minister?" he added. He said law and order in UP is in "bad" shape. "Everyday there are incidents of crime committed on daughters and women. The traders are being exploited. Injustice and atrocities are at an all-time high. The honourable chief minister calls others mafia. But if he had not withdrawn cases registered against himself, then his charge sheet would have been very long. Serious cases were registered against him," Yadav claimed.