Party to decide my poll constituency : Akhilesh

Lucknow, Jan 3: Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said he will contest elections from wherever the party directs him to.
Addressing a press conference at SP’s headquarters, Akhilesh said, “I will contest election from wherever the party directs to contest from. Remember from how many places Neta ji (SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav) had contested polls. I will contest elections from wherever SP directs me to do so.”
Akhilesh was talking to the reporters after welcoming prominent leaders of different political parties in the SP fold.
Importantly, in a jolt to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) it’s sitting MLA from Nanpara seat in Bahraich district Madhuri Verma, former MP of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from Ambedkar Nagar MP Rakesh Pandey, ex-MLC from Lucknow Kanti Singh, former MLA from Pratapgarh Brijesh Mishra and leaders of several other political parties have joined SP.
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar was also present on the occasion.
Notably, Akhilesh’s statement came after a similar statement by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Yogi had said he would contest the upcoming state Assembly polls, but the Bharatiya Janata Party will decide the seat from which he will contest. Moreover, this will be for the first time that Akhilesh would be contesting assembly elections.
Reiterating his resolve to give 300 units electricity free if voted to power, Akhilesh said, “Since the new year’s day when the SP decided to give 300 units electricity free and free irrigation to the farmers, BJP is having maximum problems.”
On the BJP’s contention that from where SP will supply free electricity to the people of the state, Akhilesh said, “I am happy that Roja thermal plant, which Neta ji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) got constructed, is ready. Anpara D plant was installed due to the SP government, we installed a super critical plant at Etah. The solar plant, which the French President inaugurated in Mirzapur, was the scheme of the SP government. Solar plants, whether in Lalitpur, Mahoba or Jhansi, all were installed during the SP regime.”

Attacking BJP governments, he said the BJP people failed on their promise to double the income of the farmers. Now they are not saying a single word regarding this in their speeches this time. “With an eye on the UP assembly polls out of compulsion BJP has withdrawn the farm laws, which would have destroyed the farming of the farmers and would have taken their lands,” he added.

“I know that on the day when our rath reached Lucknow from Ghazipur, the BJP lost it’s senses and withdrew the three farm laws which were against the farmers,” the former CM claimed.

He said the current government paid no attention towards coal generation. A policy was brought during the regime of Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) under which large scale investment was done, coal generation plants were set up. Coal generation was not taken further due to the failure of this government.

He alleged that the BJP has a maximum number of tainted MLAs. “An ADR report has come which shows the maximum number of tainted MLAs in the BJP,” he said.

Akhilesh said, “I have heard a speech of the CM regarding smartphone and tablet, he said lakhs of jobs have been given. Then I saw an advertisement on TV in which it has been claimed that two crore jobs have been given in MSME. There could not be such a big lie like this.”

Taking a jibe at the BJP, he said the party has such a washing machine that you send a criminal there and he will not look like a criminal at all. He said the CM didn’t know that his Chief Secretary had changed.
On a question regarding an app selling pictures of the women of the minority community, he said, “the manner in which Muslim women are being treated on social media is condemnable. What the intelligence of the government is doing?”
Regarding DGGI searches at the premises of Itra trader Piyush Jain, Akhilesh said, “The day searches were carried out at the premises of the trader, directives were issued to link him with the SP. The Jain community is a minority. People of the Jain community are associated with the perfume trade at a large scale. Therefore, they have been attacked. Perfume business connects us ,therefore the BJP is trying to destroy it.”
On BJP’s Jan Vishwas Yatras, he said, “I have seen pictures of many places. Even the kiosk selling chowmein has more crowds than the Jan Vishwas Yatra of the BJP.