New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has hit back at Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav saying that 100 SP MLAs are ready to switch sides with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Maurya’s statement comes after Yadav advised the former to cross over the pattern of what happened in Bihar and said that the SP chief was “desperate without power”, reported news agency ANI.
Without power, Akhilesh Yadav is desperate. He is like fish without water. The Samajwadi Party has become samaptwadi party,” Maurya said, quoted by the news agency.
Former UP Chief Minister had said that Samajwadi Party will support Maurya if he comes with 100 BJP MLAs and takes a leaf out of what happened in Bihar.
In Bihar, Janata Dal United head Nitish Kumar snapped ties with BJP last month and joined hands with RJD to form Mahagathbandhan government in the state.
Hitting back at Yadav, the Deputy CM said that the former was not a supporter of backwards and was making such remarks to stay in limelight.
"Their 100 MLAs are ready to join the BJP. We don't need to break the party because our government is functioning effectively with an absolute majority," Maurya said.
Maurya also slammed Yadav during the assembly session saying "He does not want any leader from backward classes to move ahead and rule by causing divisions. His desire to come to power will not be fulfilled in the next 25 years."
UP BJP President Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also criticised Yadav for his statement saying that he should be concerned about his own MLAs and alliance rather than “offering” the CM post to Maurya.
"Keshavji is a proven, organisationally committed worker dedicated to party ideology. He will always be with BJP. He is not a leader to act in a selfish way. He will control Akhilesh Yadav, what he (Yadav) will control him."
"Akhilesh Yadav should worry about his alliance, his family, his party, and his MLAs as his legislators are in touch with us," Chaudhary added.