In a run up to November 17 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday slammed both Congress and BJP, stating that "people are disappointed with both the parties," news agency ANI reported. Yadav was campaigning for the Samajwadi Party in MP's Niwari district. After the election rally, SP Chief told ANI: "In Niwari, SP has won earlier and will win this time also. The atmosphere here is against BJP and Congress, people here are disappointed with both parties and they will make the SP candidate win with a huge margin...Inflation, unemployment and injustice have crossed all limits...if double-engine govt can't reduce unemployment and inflation then how will they get votes from people?"
The SP Chief asserted that the Congress wants the "Samajwadi ideology" to fade away, but his party is determined to promote it even farther.
Yadav was speaking to reporters after paying his respects at the Ramraja Temple in Orchha, Niwari district, Bundelkhand area of Madhya Pradesh, where the assembly elections are set on November 17.
When asked why the SP and Congress did not form an alliance for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Yadav stated, "We are in politics because our ideology differs from theirs."
“Due to some circumstances, we were with the Congress. But the Congressmen realised that there was no need of socialists. That's why we were turned away," the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was quoted by PTI in its report.
Yadav said "we socialists cannot destroy our own party."
“Netaji (former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav) had carried forward this ideology, for which Ram Manohar Lohia fought against Nehru (Jawaharlal Nehru). We will not let the socialist ideology end. Congress wants the Samajwadi ideology to end. Our resolve is to spread this ideology further,” Yadav said.
The SP and Congress disagreed on seat distribution for the MP Assembly elections. Despite being members of the opposing INDIA coalition, each are contesting the state elections independently.
According to Yadav, the people of Madhya Pradesh desire a change from the Congress and the BJP. He said that 90% of the young in this region (Bundelkhand) are unemployed, and those without farms are compelled to travel in search of work.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a five-year extension of the Centre's free ration policy for the underprivileged. According to Yadav, the BJP claims that individuals have risen beyond the poverty level (BPL).
“If people have come out of the BPL category, if this has happened, then why free ration is being given for five more years. This shows the weakness of our economy,” he said.