News Analysis India

Tag: Akhilesh Yadav

  • Samajwadi Party signals end of alliance with Omprakash Rajbhar, Shivpal Yadav

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party on Saturday told allies Omprakash Rajbhar and Shivpal Singh Yadav that they are free to go, signalling a break-up after the two supported the BJP presidential candidate in the just concluded polls.

    Rajbhar said he has “accepted the divorce” given by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav too gave similar indication.

    In a letter to Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Omprakash Rajbhar, the SP said while they are fighting the BJP, Rajbhar “has a partnership” with the saffron party and was helping it.

    It said he is free to go if he feels he will get more respect there.

    In a similar letter to Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) President Shivpal Singh Yadav, the SP said that “he can go where he gets more respect”.

    The SP shared the letters on its official Twitter handle.

    Shivpal Yadav replied tersely to the SP’s move.

    pic.twitter.com/qc7T8GJAlr
    — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) July 23, 2022
    “Although I was always free, I sincerely thank the Samajwadi Party from the heart for giving me formal independence by issuing a letter. Compromising on principles and respect is unacceptable in a political journey,” he tweeted in Hindi.

    Rajbhar hit out at Akhilesh Yadav.

    “It is bad if I meet Yogi (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) but it is very good if Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav meet him,” he said, and warned the SP chief that the effect of his action “will be known by the 2024 elections”.

    Asked about his next step, he said that he will hold talks with the Bahujan Samaj Party.

    He also said that “Shivpal Yadav is our leader and we keep in touch with him”.

    The development came after Rajbhar and Shivpal Yadav supported the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu who defeated Yashwant Sinha, the opposition nominee supported by SP.

    In 2018, Shivpal Singh Yadav formed his new party after he was sidelined by Akhilesh Yadav.

    Akhilesh Yadav had reached out to his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav ahead of the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and the latter had won the election from the Jaswant Nagar constituency on the SP symbol.

    However, the ties remained strained between the two.

    The Samajwadi Party had fought the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls together with Jayant Chaudhary’s RLD, Rajbhar’s SBSP, Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), Keshav Dev Maurya’s Mahan Dal and the Janwadi Party.

    But after the alliance failed to dislodge the BJP, there was much speculation about it falling apart.

    The Mahan Dal and the Janwadi Party have already severed ties with the SP.

    The SP is now left with only RLD and Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) as alliance partners.

    In the letter written in Hindi sent to Rajbhar, the SP said, “Shri Omprakash Rajbhar, Samajwadi Party is continuously fighting against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). You have an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and are continuously working to strengthen the BJP. If you think that you will get more respect, then you are free to go there.”

    The letter to Shivpal read: “Honourable Shivpal Singh Yadav, if you feel that you will get more respect somewhere, then you are free to go there.”

    READ HERE | Don’t need anyone’s advice: Akhilesh Yadav on Rajbhar’s advice for SP, BSP to join hands

    Om Prakash Rajbhar’s proximity to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was visible in the presidential election.

    Meanwhile, the UP government has provided ‘Y category’ security to Rajbhar.

    After the SP’s defeat in Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha bypolls, Rajbhar had advised Akhilesh Yadav to go among the people and not do politics from an air-conditioned room.

    Rajbhar’s party won six seats in the recent state assembly elections in alliance with the state’s main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP).

    Rajbhar, a strong backward leader with influence in eastern UP districts, fought the 2017 assembly election in UP with the BJP but later parted ways and joined the SP-led alliance.

    LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party on Saturday told allies Omprakash Rajbhar and Shivpal Singh Yadav that they are free to go, signalling a break-up after the two supported the BJP presidential candidate in the just concluded polls.

    Rajbhar said he has “accepted the divorce” given by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav too gave similar indication.

    In a letter to Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Omprakash Rajbhar, the SP said while they are fighting the BJP, Rajbhar “has a partnership” with the saffron party and was helping it.

    It said he is free to go if he feels he will get more respect there.

    In a similar letter to Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) President Shivpal Singh Yadav, the SP said that “he can go where he gets more respect”.

    The SP shared the letters on its official Twitter handle.

    Shivpal Yadav replied tersely to the SP’s move.

    pic.twitter.com/qc7T8GJAlr
    — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) July 23, 2022
    “Although I was always free, I sincerely thank the Samajwadi Party from the heart for giving me formal independence by issuing a letter. Compromising on principles and respect is unacceptable in a political journey,” he tweeted in Hindi.

    Rajbhar hit out at Akhilesh Yadav.

    “It is bad if I meet Yogi (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) but it is very good if Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav meet him,” he said, and warned the SP chief that the effect of his action “will be known by the 2024 elections”.

    Asked about his next step, he said that he will hold talks with the Bahujan Samaj Party.

    He also said that “Shivpal Yadav is our leader and we keep in touch with him”.

    The development came after Rajbhar and Shivpal Yadav supported the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu who defeated Yashwant Sinha, the opposition nominee supported by SP.

    In 2018, Shivpal Singh Yadav formed his new party after he was sidelined by Akhilesh Yadav.

    Akhilesh Yadav had reached out to his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav ahead of the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and the latter had won the election from the Jaswant Nagar constituency on the SP symbol.

    However, the ties remained strained between the two.

    The Samajwadi Party had fought the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls together with Jayant Chaudhary’s RLD, Rajbhar’s SBSP, Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), Keshav Dev Maurya’s Mahan Dal and the Janwadi Party.

    But after the alliance failed to dislodge the BJP, there was much speculation about it falling apart.

    The Mahan Dal and the Janwadi Party have already severed ties with the SP.

    The SP is now left with only RLD and Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) as alliance partners.

    In the letter written in Hindi sent to Rajbhar, the SP said, “Shri Omprakash Rajbhar, Samajwadi Party is continuously fighting against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). You have an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and are continuously working to strengthen the BJP. If you think that you will get more respect, then you are free to go there.”

    The letter to Shivpal read: “Honourable Shivpal Singh Yadav, if you feel that you will get more respect somewhere, then you are free to go there.”

    READ HERE | Don’t need anyone’s advice: Akhilesh Yadav on Rajbhar’s advice for SP, BSP to join hands

    Om Prakash Rajbhar’s proximity to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was visible in the presidential election.

    Meanwhile, the UP government has provided ‘Y category’ security to Rajbhar.

    After the SP’s defeat in Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha bypolls, Rajbhar had advised Akhilesh Yadav to go among the people and not do politics from an air-conditioned room.

    Rajbhar’s party won six seats in the recent state assembly elections in alliance with the state’s main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP).

    Rajbhar, a strong backward leader with influence in eastern UP districts, fought the 2017 assembly election in UP with the BJP but later parted ways and joined the SP-led alliance.

  • Rajbhar’s party yet to take call on presidential election, keeps Opposition camp guessing

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW/BALLIA: Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, which has kept ally Samajwadi Party guessing on whom it will vote for in the presidential election, will take a call on Saturday after meeting SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, a party leader said.

    However, SP party leader Udaiveer Singh, whose name was taken by the SBSP leader for finalising the meeting, said “no such meeting has been fixed”.

    As chinks appear in the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the SBSP has been sending mixed signals on whether its MLAs will vote for opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha or ruling NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu.

    On Tuesday, an SBSP spokesperson maintained that the party still remained part of the SP-led alliance.

    SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar had earlier said he will announce the party s decision on the presidential election on Tuesday after meeting Akhilesh Yadav on the issue and other matters related to the alliance.

    But spokesperson Arun Rajbhar told PTI that a press conference scheduled for the day has been cancelled.

    He said the SBSP chief will soon meet Yadav.

    He said senior SP leader Udaiveer Singh had earlier told the SBSP that Yadav will meet them in a couple of days.

    He suggested that the planned meeting has got delayed because of the death of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s wife Sadhna Yadav.

    “After having a meeting with Akhilesh Yadav regarding the presidential election, a press conference will be held in Lucknow on July 16,” the SBSP spokesperson, who is party chief’s son, said.

    However, SP leader and former MLC Udaiveer Singh denied claims of the SBSP leader regarding meeting with Akhilesh Yadav.

    “Neither such a meeting is fixed, nor anyone from SBSP has talked to SP or me for seeking the time (from SP Chief),” Singh clarified in a tweet in Hindi.

    Arun Rajbhar earlier maintained that the party remained an ally of the SP.

    “The SBSP is with the SP and will remain with it in the future as well,” he said.

    When asked about a party meeting Tuesday in Ballia s Rasra, he said, “Discussions were held on expanding the party organisation.

    The SBSP chief said that a meeting will be held (with Akhilesh Yadav) by July 16, after which “we will make it clear whom we will vote for,” he said.

    Om Prakash Rajbhar had created a flutter in the opposition camp by attending a dinner hosted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow last Friday.

    It signalled cracks in the opposition alliance and triggered speculation that Rajbhar could walk out of the coalition that fought the recent assembly election together.

    Shivpal Yadav, who heads the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), formally an SP ally, also attended the dinner hosted for Murmu.

    Jansatta Dal Loktantrik chief Raghuraj Pratap Singh, also known as Raja Bhaiya, and the lone Bahujan Samaj Party MLA in Uttar Pradesh, Uma Shankar Singh, were also present there.

  • Opposition unity shatters in Uttar Pradesh ahead of presidential polls

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The opposition unity received a big jolt on Friday when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle Shivpal Yadav and SP ally OP Rajbhar, chief of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), arrived at UP CM Yogi Aditynath’s official residence to attend the dinner hosted by him in honour of NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu on Friday night.

    Murmu had arrived in Lucknow on Friday afternoon to meet the MLAs and muster support for her.

    Moreover, besides the BJP and its allies including Apna Dal (S) and NISHAD party, Jansatta Dal chief Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya and BSP’s lone MLA Umashankar Singh were also present in the dinner committing support to Murmu.

    While Jansatta Dal has two MLAs, BSP chief Mayawati had already committed support of her lone MLA to Murmu a day after the announcement of her candidature by the NDA.

    However, the presence of Shivpal Yadav and OP Rajbhar is being witnessed as a big jolt to opposition unity in the state ahead of the presidential elections due on July 18.

    While Shivpal had won the Jaswantnagar Assembly seat on the SP ticket, Rajbhar’s SBSP had contested the Assembly elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, winning six seats. Significantly, both Shivpal and OP Rajbhar had been sulking for quite some time and going public with their views against the SP leadership.

    The immediate flashpoint in SP-SBSP ties reached after Rajbhar was not invited to the meeting called by Akhilesh Yadav to drum up support for the opposition’s presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha who was in Lucknow on Thursday.

    As per the highly placed sources, SP kept the SBSP chief waiting while inviting Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhury to the meeting.

    Meanwhile, a senior SP leader downplayed Rajbhar’s presence in the NDA camp saying that it was much expected as the SBSP chief had met the BJP leaders four days back and that was the reason he was not invited to the meeting convened by the SP chief on Thursday.

    However, the Friday development may go a long way in changing the flavour of UP politics ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the SP-led alliance seems to be on the rocks.

  • UP bypolls: Akhilesh puts the blame of defeat on ‘misuse’ of govt machinery by BJP

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Attributing the defeat of the party’s bastions of Rampur and Azamgarh to the open misuse of government machinery by the BJP, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the ruling party had hatched a conspiracy to influence the electorate. While issuing a statement here on Sunday, the SP chief said that the BJP’s lust for power had destroyed all the democratic values in the state.

    “The Party fought the by-election well in Azamgarh and Rampur and voters were also inclined towards the SP but the ruling BJP used all the dirty tricks up its sleeves to get the votes cast in its favour. The voters were harassed and intimidated. In its desperation to get the victory the BJP stooped to the lowest level and detained SP workers at police stations,” Akhilesh maintained. Citing specific instances, the SP chief claimed that in Rampur only six votes were polled from a Muslim-dominated locality which had 900 votes. “Is it not the mockery of a democratic exercise like elections,” he asked.

    “Blatant misuse of power to shatter all democratic values coupled with an election commission that behaved like Dhritrashtra and the BJP like the Kauravas together hijacked the mandate of the people,” he said drawing an analogy from Mahabharata. It was a mockery of democracy and people’s mandate, he said. Meanwhile, in Azamgarh party candidate Dharmendra Yadav extended gratitude to SP leaders and people of the constituency for supporting him.

    “We should not be demoralized by the results because the party seniors have pinned their hopes on the youngsters. I apologise to all senior leaders for not being able to win the elections and come up to their expectations. I thank all those who voted for SP and reposed faith in the party,” Dharmendra said.

    On the other hand, in Rampur, SP veteran Azam Khan, who had spearheaded the party campaign, said party candidate Asim Raja’s victory was changed to a defeat by the powers that be. He also cited the example of six votes being polled at a polling station with 900 votes in Muslim dominated locality. “Elections are not held like this,” he said.

  • ‘Biggest cowardly attack on democracy’: Parties slam Congress on Emergency’s 47th anniversary

    The Emergency, declared on this day in 1975 by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, suspended fundamental rights of citizens and brought press censorship.

  • BJP tries disrupt polling, misused power: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday accused the ruling BJP of misuse of power in the bypolls to the Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats, alleging that efforts were made to disrupt voting.

    He alleged that though the Election Commission was informed about the developments, the election machinery remained a mute spectator. The party workers were harassed and undue pressure was created on them to vote for BJP candidates, he alleged.

    “The BJP misused power in the bypolls to Azamgarh and Rampur. Hurdles were created by the ruling party to disrupt polling. Though the EC was informed, the entire election machinery remained a mute spectator. Voters were not allowed to vote without fear,” Yadav said in a statement issued here.

    Yadav alleged that all this was done in a planned way. “Fake voting was done and EVMs were found faulty in various booths,” he said, adding that in Assembly constituencies of Gopalpur, Sagdi, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh, Mehnagar in Azamgarh, party agents were removed from booths.

    Women belonging to a minority community were stopped from voting in the Rampur’s Suar Assembly constituency and Narpat Nagar, he said, adding that police resorted to a lathicharge to create fear.

  • When govt fails, Opposition has to clear ‘ED exam’, says Akhilesh Yadav 

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday dubbed the Enforcement Directorate as “Examination in Democracy” and said in politics the Opposition is required to clear “this exam” when the government fails.

    He said those who are “prepared” need not be afraid of any examination. “The meaning of ED is now ‘Examination in Democracy’.

    “In politics, the Opposition is required to clear this exam. When the government fails, it announces this exam. Those who have prepared well are neither afraid of written-reading exams nor verbal exams. And you should never be afraid,” Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

    ALSO READ: ED quizzes Rahul for 3rd consecutive day in National Herald money laundering case

    His reaction comes amid the ongoing questioning of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by the ED in the National Herald case.

  • BJP working to undermine constitutional bodies: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday attacked the BJP saying the party is working to weaken the constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission.

    Addressing a meeting of party candidates in 2022 UP Assembly election and other office bearers, Yadav said, “The BJP does not believe in socialism, democracy, and secularism mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution. The BJP is working to weaken constitutional institutions.”

    The meeting was held apparently to rouse SP workers’ spirits for the Azamgarh and Rampur bypoll to be held on June 23.

    In a statement issued by the party, Yadav said while the SP increased its vote percentage in the 2022 assembly elections, the result of many assembly constituencies was affected because of misuse of the official machinery.

    He also alleged that the Election Commission did not take proper cognisance of the party’s grievances during the latest elections.

    There were too many discrepancies in the voter list, and names of voters were missing, he said.

    The SP chief entrusted the responsibility of increasing the voting percentage to the party officials and told them to gear up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and 2027 UP Legislative Assembly election.

    Yadav also alleged that the villages and poor are not the priority of the BJP and it is only ruling the public by spreading hatred and tension.

  • BJP people don’t understand socialism, they need to read again: Akhilesh Yadav

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Saturday mocked the BJP, saying its leaders don’t understand the concept of socialism and added that next time he visits the assembly he would carry a book on democracy, socialism and secularism for their benefit.

    His attack came a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused him of “dumping” socialism and praised the SP chief’s uncle Shivpal Yadav, crediting him for “keeping alive” the ideals of towering socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia.

    Asked about the chief minister’s praise for Shivpal, Akhilesh told reporters on Saturday, “That is why I tell BJP people to read again about democracy, socialism and secularism. Next time I go to the House, I will bring a book for these people who are unable to understand socialism,” he told the media.

    This prompted a sharp reaction from Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak who said the Samajwadi Party has earned a “bad name” for itself because of its “misdeeds”.

    “These people will go to the rasatal (political abyss),” he said.

    Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the governor’s address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, Adityanath had told Akhilesh on Friday, “However much you may talk of socialism, the fact is you have reduced socialism to a mirage. Whenever there is a talk about socialism, Dr (Rammanohar) Lohia and Jayprakash Narayan are discussed.”

    “Nowadays, occasionally I see Sahivpalji’s writing on Dr Lohia. You need to read about Dr Lohia.”

    The SP chief had responded by saying, “Till now, he was my uncle, but now the Leader of the House is also calling him ‘chacha’ (uncle).”

    While speaking to reporters outside the assembly on Saturday, Akhilesh also talked about the Adityanath government’s budget.

    “This government is playing with statistics. Development does not take place on (the basis of) statistics. The real development is when things actually change on the ground,” he said.

    Reacting to this, Pathak said, “The Samajwadi Party has earned a bad name because of its misdeeds, and these people will go to the abyss. People have understood this party. They have no policy, and have been proved to be a big flop. People have rejected them.”

    The deputy chief minister added Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead with pace, and soon it will be the number one state in the country in terms of economy and infrastructure.

    Shivpal Yadav, the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president, had contested recent state polls on the SP’s bicycle symbol, but has been distancing himself from the opposition camp and showing increasingly greater proximity with the BJP post elections in the state.

  • UP Assembly: CM slams Mamata over Bengal poll violence, counters Akhilesh

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath slammed his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee over poll violence in her state and targeted Akhilesh Yadav, who heads the main opposition party back home, over his “false campaign” on farmers’ issues.

    Speaking on the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address to the state legislature, Adityanath listed the achievements of his previous government, comparing them with the one led earlier by Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party.

    He hit out at Yadav for his reluctance to accept the “success” of the “double engine” government — a reference to the BJP being in power both at the Centre and in the state.

    The “double engine”, he said, “is working at triple speed”.

    He ridiculed the opposition leader for “blaming” the electronic voting machines for the SP’s defeat in the recent assembly polls, which brought the BJP back to power in UP for a second term in a row.

    “If they win, everything is alright. But if the BJP wins, there is some fault with the EVMs,” Adityanath said.

    “This is an insult to the people.”

    Without naming Trinamool Party leader Mamata Banerjee, Adityanath recalled her visit to the state during the UP campaign.

    “A ‘didi’ from West Bengal came in support of the Samajwadi Party in the elections,” he said, while attacking her government for the violence during the assembly elections in her state in 2021.

    He claimed that “12,000 incidents of violence” were reported from 142 of the 294 assembly seats in that state, and a large number of BJP workers targeted.

    “The population of West Bengal is half of Uttar Pradesh. There was no pre-poll or any post-poll violence in Uttar Pradesh. This is an example of law and order,” Adityanath said.

    On law and order in UP, he said, “Our government conducted the urban local bodies’ poll in 2017 without any violence. In the Lok Sabha polls too there was no violence. The 2021 panchayat elections were peaceful. The 2022 UP Assembly elections were also conducted in a peaceful manner.”

    He also compared Covid management in his state with that in Maharashtra.

    The CM said the entire state of UP has become an advocate (‘pakshdar’) of “Ram Rajya”.

    “Ram Rajya is not a religious system,” he added, calling it “eternal” and “universal”.

    “We are labelled nationalists, and we feel proud of it,” he said.

    “The condition of anyone devoid of nationalism is like that of a rat. The rat works to dismantle the foundation of the house in which it lives and gets its food from.”

    He claimed the opposition had tried its best to “hoodwink” the people of UP on the farmer’s issue, referring to their year-long protest over Centre’s now scrapped agri-laws.

    But the farmers rejected the “false campaign” which is clear from the fact that the BJP won from 46 of the 58 assembly seats in the first phase of elections, mainly in the areas dominated by farmers, he said.

    The maximum number of farmers committed suicide in the state between 2004 and 2016,” he claimed, referring to UP under previous governments.

    “Despite inheriting the bad financial condition of the state, we waived the loan of 86 lakh farmers,” he said.

    He said during the SP term, the state government spent Rs 17,190 crore on paddy purchase but for the same period from 2017 his own government paid Rs 42,244 crore to farmers for their crop.

    “The Leader of Opposition gave a good speech. But it would have been good had he spoken something about his government,” he said, referring to Yadav’s remarks on the Governor’s address.

    Adityanath also referred to alleged scams during the SP term and said it would have been good if there was a discussion on them as well.

    Unlike in the SP term, recruitment in government departments took place without favouritism or bribes, he said.

    Later, Yadav countered the CM’s claims on development and highlighted the migration of labourers during the Covid pandemic.

    The SP leader said he had earlier opposed the Covid vaccine because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph on the certificates given to people who took the jab.